


Tonight We're Gonna Give It 35%

by SlytherinSweetheart (Cherrypie62666)



Series: Little by Little [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Angst and Fluff, Angst and Humor, Angst and Humor and Fluff, Coming Out, Established Relationship, Family Feels, Family Fluff, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Scorbus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-21
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2018-10-22 07:19:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10692375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cherrypie62666/pseuds/SlytherinSweetheart
Summary: Scorpius Malfoy sat on the Hogwarts Express, leaning back against the side of the bench seat, arms wrapped around the only person he’d ever fit with so effortlessly within his entire life, enjoying the calm vibrations of little bumps and shakes as they traveled their way toward London; away from Hogwarts, away from the past three months, away from heartache and uncertainty and fear.It was one of the first times in his young life that he felt like everything was going to be all right, that with Albus by his side, nothing could possibly go wrong.  It was a strange feeling, not that he hadn’t ever felt safe or contented or what have you, mostly for the fact that nothing had really changed.  Albus was still Albus, he was still Scorpius, and they were still together.  Somehow, all it felt a little more complete.Everything was perfect, they’d made it through the first half of the school year, they’d figured out their not so simple, yet entirely simple feelings for one another, and in a few days, they’d be happily spending the New Year together.  Nothing could put a damper on his happy mood.---Sequel to Little by Little





	1. A Return From Hogwarts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are clicking this without having read through Little by Little, prepare to be utterly confused.  
> I'm not saying you have to read that one first, you might very well hash out the gist of it through contextual clues, but it's easier just to read it first.
> 
> To those who are returning to my little bubble of Albus/Scorpius love  
> Welcome back. :)
> 
> Oh yeah, Fic name is a song title.  
> It was... strangely fitting? Mostly in name. If you look up the lyrics, don't think it is meant to parallel the feeling.

Scorpius Malfoy sat on the Hogwarts Express, leaning back against the side of the bench seat, arms wrapped around the only person he’d ever fit with so effortlessly within his entire life, enjoying the calm vibrations of little bumps and shakes as they traveled their way toward London; away from Hogwarts, away from the past three months, away from heartache and uncertainty and fear.

It was one of the first times in his young life that he felt like everything was going to be all right, that with Albus by his side, nothing could possibly go wrong. It was a strange feeling, not that he hadn’t ever felt safe or contented or what have you, mostly for the fact that nothing had really changed. Albus was still Albus, he was still Scorpius, and they were still together. Somehow, it still managed to feel a little more complete.

Everything was perfect, they’d made it through the first half of the school year, they’d figured out their not so simple, yet entirely simple feelings for one another, and in a few days, they’d be happily spending the New Year together. Nothing could put a damper on his happy mood.

That is, until the boy resting quietly against his chest, staring out the window at the snowy white hills as they passed through those very first mountains outside the castle, uttered that life changing thought aloud.

“What do you think our parents are going to say? About us… like this?” His tone held only a slight waver of uncertainty as he spoke, body language still utterly supple and relaxed.

The words sank in, coating his brain, penetrating the deepest recesses of his mind; until they played on an endless loop, each syllable like a taunt, each rise and fall a barrage that kickstarted his heart rate to a high crescendo of fluttering spasms.

Scorpius’ breath caught in the back of his throat, jaw going slack, mouth hanging agape. The cold tendrils of anxiety shot ice straight into his veins, and as his body stiffened, poised to flee that place, green eyes blinked up at him curiously, warm hands coming out to cradle his cheeks with a gentle firmness.

“Scorp? Hey, calm down. Everything is going to be just fine.” Albus’ voice trickled in at him from lightyears away, a quiet echoing hum struggling hard to combat the rolling waves of fog suddenly blocking all other sensations.

It was like sitting in a dark room, heat turned up too high, the moisture in the air stifling and sticky on his skin. It seeped down into his airways, choking the oxygen from his lungs, replacing it with burning fire and needles that pricked his entire being over, and over, and over again.

A strangled whimpering sound escaped his lips, eyes blinking rapidly to thwart the salty tears that sprang up, threatening to spill over the edges of lids. Albus rubbed soothing circles into his skin with the pads of thumbs, but for the life of him, he couldn’t even distinguish the feeling from the inescapable numbness that had already claimed his nerve endings.

“You’re going to be fine, Scorpius. Your father isn’t going to freak out on you, I promise.”

“What about yours,” he croaked, finally discovering his voice amidst the sea of overwhelming emotion. Silver eyes flicked around the compartment, before settling themselves on a calming wash of emerald iris, liquid with concern.

Albus frowned. “What do you mean, why would you be worried about my father?”

With a stuttering intake of air, he released it in a drawn-out sigh. “A-Albus, you know how your father is. He already can’t stand the fact we’re friends, what do you think he’ll do when he finds out… that... we…”

“Like to kiss, too?”

“Exactly,” Scorpius wailed, clawing at the other’s robes until the boy was pressed tight against him, pinning his shaking limbs hard between their chests. “I don’t know what I’ll do if he tries to separate us again. I’d… I couldn’t… I can’t…”

Fingers stroked softly through his hair, calming the tremors until they were no more than a gentle vibration of shivers running up and down his spine. “You know I’d never let that happen,” Albus murmured softly against the skin of his temple, following the tickle of breath with a brushing of lips. “But, if you’d prefer, we don’t need to say anything until you’re prepared. It’s no one’s business but our own.”

Scorpius pulled back slightly, just enough to stare once more into sad green eyes. “It’s not that I’m not okay with it, Albus. I don’t care what anyone thinks of me because of my feelings. I just can’t lose you. And you know that Harry Potter doesn’t listen to anyone once his mind is set. What if he thinks I’m not good enough?”

Albus laughed, the sound shooting from his mouth like a gunshot, causing Scorpius to frown. “You? Not good enough? What about me? Your family is high society, and I’m effectively ending your bloodline unless you decide you magically want to shag some girl in order to reproduce.”

“Albus, don’t be crude,” he chided, pursing his lips.

“My point being, that you have far less to worry about than I do. I won’t ever let anyone come between us if I can help it. So, relax. Everything will be fine.” Albus smiled warmly, placing an obnoxiously sloppy kiss right on Scorpius’ nose.

“You do realize you told me, the person who can’t help but overthink anything and everything, to relax, right?”

Albus cocked a brow, eyes glinting with amusement. “I have faith in your ability to bounce back.”

Scorpius frowned harder. “This is a serious issue, Al. You should be taking it quite seriously.”

“I’m taking it deathly seriously, Scorp,” he hummed, unable to stop the wicked grin from slipping across his lips.

“You are so not! Albus Potter, I have half a mind to ignore you for the remainder of this train ride,” he grumbled, half-hearted though it might be.

Albus chuckled at that, clearly not swayed by the threat. “You know, I’d believe you if doing so wouldn’t also hurt yourself. We’re going to be apart for nine whole days, I doubt you want to give up the last few hours of peace just to punish me.”

“You know nothing of my stubbornness, then,” Scorpius teased, cracking a smile.

Albus softened his look, smile turning fond and gentle. Tucking a stray piece of hair behind Scorpius’ ear, he let out a contented sigh, cupping his cheek affectionately with the same hand. “Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out. If you want to jump right in, we’ll do it. I’ll snog you in front of the whole station to get the point across. If you want to hold back until you’re more certain, we can do that, too. Whatever makes it easier for you.”

“Thanks, Al,” he murmured, pulling the boy back in for a hug. It was warm and pleasant, smelling of all things inherently Albus. Burrowing his face deep into fabric, he allowed that scent to calm his nerves, until he’d come up with a plan he hoped would fit. “I don’t want to hide, but I also don’t want to risk not being able to see you the whole of the break. Maybe… maybe we can wait, just until we’re going safely back to school?” Pulling back, he searched for signs of hesitation or reluctance.

Albus nodded, before pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. “We’ll wait, then.”

“Only for a little bit?”

“Only for a little bit,” Albus echoed with a smile.

With the heavy weight lifted from his shoulder, Scorpius’ good mood began to trickle back in. They still had a few hours together, there was no reason to waste it hyperventilating over something that had yet to happen. If they could get through the ridicule and torment for years on end, the two of them could get through anything. So long as they were together.

A happy hum vibrated in his throat, the remaining numbness in his fingers slowly leaving. “Thank you for agreeing, Al.”

“Feel better now,” he asked, green eyes still shining with concern.

With a gentle nod, Scorpius smiled in all sincerity. “I think so, yes.”

Shifting back along the bench, they returned to their cuddly position; Albus’ back flush against his chest, sitting comfortably between his legs, while both watched out the window at the rolling countryside with sleepy eyes. Of all the new things they could finally do, this was perhaps his most favorite one of all.

* * *

The train rolled to a stop, the high trill of the whistle signaling their arrival at the station. Scorpius clutched the handle of his luggage with a deathlike grip, skin pulling tight over bone until it turned his knuckles the same milky color. Albus had yet to return from changing into his regular clothes, having felt too shy to do so in the compartment beside him.

Not that Scorpius was complaining. Even after six years of friendship, there were still some things he wasn’t comfortable doing and was quite glad Albus was on the same page. Even just thinking about Albus that way brought warmth to his cheeks, and caused an obnoxiously familiar feeling to pool in the pit of his stomach. It was definitely for the best. They’d have never left the train, otherwise.

Albus returned a moment later, flushed and slightly breathless. “Sorry about that. Everyone started coming out at the same time, and I had to fight my way back here. Next time, we should change before we decide to snog.” Green eyes twinkled as a cocky grin splayed across his lips.

Scorpius hummed in amusement, quirking a brow. “Planning more snogging sessions, are you?”

“Lots,” Albus purred, pulling him in by the fabric of his shirt. As far as final goodbye kisses went, it sure didn’t feel like Albus was saying farewell. More like, if you don’t stop me soon, we will most certainly end up wherever the train is headed to next, but I doubt I’ll be able to care.

“Really, you two. Try to contain yourselves at least a little,” the familiar haughty tone drawled from somewhere close by.

They sprang apart, turning to catch the look of amusement playing out on Katie’s face, while Rose stood exasperated, arms crossed over her chest, rolling her eyes at their embarrassed faces.

“I wish I had a camera,” Katie sighed wistfully, grinning when Albus shot her a death glare. “Solely for the purest of reasons, of course. We should document his triumphant moment in history. Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy stopped being dense and finally admitted their obvious attraction.”

“Like you are one to talk Davies,” Albus scoffed. “And you told Scorpius before you told me!”

Katie chuckled. “No, Scorpius is just less dense than you are, and he guessed. Besides, you found out literally hours later.”

Scorpius stifled a giggle behind his hand. “I’m just less self-absorbed, is all. I didn’t know for certain until the ball. I'd hoped, for Rose’s sake, but I’m glad it all worked out in the end.”

“Which reminds me, how could you confide in the bread head before your own flesh and blood, Rose? Is he really that much better of a listener than I am?”

The three shared an amused look, before turning to Albus and agreeing.

“Yes.”

“Without a doubt.”

“Sorry, Al,” Scorpius soothed, lacing their fingers and offering a reassuring squeeze. “You can be a little…”

“Self-absorbed,” he quipped, smiling back. “I know, but it’s part of what makes me loveable to begin with.”

Katie and Rose snorted in response, but Scorpius almost had to agree. Caring more about oneself than other’s opinions is one of the reasons Albus had refused to leave his side, even after all it brought him was suffering and misery. Without Scorpius to muck everything up, Albus might have been happily liked by everyone. Instead, he was shunned by most for five of their six years in school.

A rush of warm affection shot through him, and he placed a light kiss on Albus’ cheek, smiling softly at the trickling of red that slowly began to color his tanned cheeks. “Quite,” he hummed happily, giving another gentle squeeze.

Rose sighed unhappily, pulling his attention away. “Well, we’d best get out there, before they send in the entire Auror department over our sudden disappearance.”

Albus’ eyes went wide, a horrified look crossing his face. “Merlin, you’re right, Rose! They would do that. Between my dad and your mum, they’d have them all here in two minutes maximum.” Grabbing for his luggage, he yanked Scorpius along behind him, rushing to get off the train.

It was lucky that a few other slower students were still shuffling out the doors, Lily and a chocolate-haired boy being some of them. Just before they made it out into the open of the crowded station, Albus released his hold, shooting Scorpius a regretful look.

Scorpius just smiled softly in response, shaking his head in disagreement. “It’s okay, Al. Only for two weeks, and then never again.”

Albus chewed on his lip, before nodding. “I know. I just hate taking a step back after such a large leap forward.” Running the empty hand through his hair, he let out a sad sigh. “I was sort of hoping I could tell Gran and everyone over Christmas. Now I’ll just have to let my parents do it, or else owl her later.”

Scorpius’ mouth fell open in shock. “You’re really that comfortable with just dropping a bomb like that to your entire family, all at once?”

The smile he gave back was hesitant and shy. “Well, not exactly, no. I’d be a right mess the entire time. But I doubt it would be more of a shock than being a Slytherin, and they’ve all seemed to come to terms with that.”

Without thinking, Scorpius shot forward and planted a hard kiss on Albus’ mouth. Someone cleared their throat beside him, and he reluctantly stepped away once more. “Sorry,” he mumbled, glancing over to see Lily giving them an amused look. Thankfully, her friend appeared to have left, and no one else remained, aside from the three of them.

“Yes, well, don’t let me stop you two. Just, if you could stop blocking the exit, I’d hate to have to go find another one when I’m oh so close to freedom.”

Scorpius obliged, but before she could leave, Albus grabbed onto her sleeve. “Ah, Lily. Don’t say anything to the family. Not yet. We’re not going to until the end of break.”

Her brown eyes shone with curiosity, but she gave a small nod of agreeance before stepping outside. Her loud voice echoed above all others as she squealed at the sight of her mother, taking off at a sprint to fling herself into opened arms.

With one final smile the two followed suit, heading toward the small group still patiently awaiting their arrivals. Scorpius spotted his father’s familiar mop of long silvery blond hair, standing not too far off from the Potters, feeling the joy and happiness bubbling up inside of him the closer they got.

Albus shuffled up to his parents, giving his mum a tight bear hug, which she returned just as fiercely. He was now the same height as the not so short woman, so her hugs didn’t look as engulfing as they used to, but it still looked just as warm and loving as ever. When they broke apart, Albus turned to his father and gave an awkward smile before Harry pulled him into an equally awkward embrace, which lasted only a beat before they both stepped away, looking a little flustered.

Scorpius approached his own father then, smiling at the man before they, too, gave their own awkwardly stiff hug. It wasn’t awkward for the same reason Albus’ was, mostly for the fact it was still a newer experience between them since he’d started going to school, though more so since the incident in fourth year.

When he was little he remembered riding up on his father’s shoulders, horsey rides on his back, and sitting in his lap while Draco read him children’s fairytales. As he grew older, matured slighty and became a young adult, the hugs and affectionate touches were limited more and more to solely his mother's gentle embraces; until her death, that is, which left the both of them feeling oddly empty for a while.

He didn't know how long it had been since his father had received any kind of human attention, so before Draco could pull away, Scorpius gave one good squeeze, pouring in as much love and affection as was possible through a mere embrace. Draco gave him an odd sort of look, before smiling warmly, lifting up his suitcase and offering out his arm for Scorpius to take. “Well, shall we then?”

“Uh, just a second,” Scorpius replied, chewing anxiously on his lip. Albus and he had hugged one another before in front of their families, though it had never felt so glaringly obvious that they fancied one another as it did in that moment right then.

Draco’s eyes flicked over to his friend, realization shining there before he gave a short nod. “All right, I’ll just be waiting then. Take your time.”

Spinning around, he caught Albus’ green eyes staring hopefully back at him, almost puppylike in their sad wateriness. The look vanished, replaced with one of giddiness, and the two rushed forward once more to squeeze the other so tightly it sort of hurt.

“I’m going to miss you,” Albus whispered, voice already laced with mild longing and a hint of remorse.

Scorpius nodded stiffly, reluctant to let go ever again. “Not as much as I’ll miss you,” he sniffed, feeling Albus chuckle before they both broke apart.

“Nine days.”

“That’s not so long,” Scorpius agreed.

“I’ll write you every single one of those days,” Albus promised, looking strangely determined all of a sudden.

Scorpius laughed, shaking his head at the boy. “It takes more than a full day for the owl to get to me and back.”

“Well, then I’ll send two different owls,” he shrugged, as if that were the most obvious solution to the problem.

“That’s really not necessary, Al.” When Albus gave him a flat look, he sighed. “Fine, then I’ll look forward to a letter a day.”

Albus beamed, taking a short step back. “As soon as I get home.”

“Go, already,” he chuckled, giving another gently fond look to the boy.

With a soft wave, he turned around and jogged back to his waiting family. The Potters and the Granger-Weasleys spoke for a short while before parting their separate ways, one set apparating, the other leaving out through the portal to the muggle side.

Scorpius watched them for a moment, before turning back to Draco with another smile. “All right, I’m ready now.” Linking arms with his father, he felt the strange tug of apparition as the noisy train station faded away.

* * *

They landed in the foyer with a soft pop. The family house elf, Marigold, took his bag from Draco quietly, apparating herself and it up to his room before either one could thank her. The Manor was just the same as it always was; wide open, well lit, and a little bit empty. Scorpius felt the familiar pang in his chest at the thought of his father having to spend all his time inside alone, wishing there was a way he could visit more often during the school year to ease some of that loneliness.

“Would you like a cup of tea before supper? Marigold informed me before I left that it’ll be around another hour still, yet.”

Scorpius assessed the man then, taking in his curious expression, honest and open silvery-blue eyes, tall and proud frame. Strange words bubbled up on the tip of his tongue, confessions he didn’t realize would be so hard to hold back.

_Dad, I’m in love with Albus Potter, just thought I’d let you know._

Instead, he said, “I think I’ll just go up to my room instead, lay down for a bit, unpack some. Thank you, though.”

Draco nodded, offering a small smile. “All right, Scorpius. I’ll send Marigold to fetch you when it’s ready.” Turning around, he strolled off the direction of his private study, leaving the other there to wallow in his guilt.

Ascending the grand staircase, he took the steps two at a time, racing off to his room on the second floor, and flinging open the door before closing it swiftly behind himself. With a deep, shuttering breath he whispered those very words out into the open space, if only to drag them from his mouth before he blurted them at dinner later, which would be an utterly awkward conversation to have while eating.

The large room didn’t respond so he fell onto his mattress, burying his face into the cold sheets that smelled oddly fresh considering the last time he’d slept there. The room was quiet, his emotions still raw, and before he knew it, sleep had claimed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, there are new anxieties to deal with! :D  
> If you thought I would let these two get away with being happy just like that, you're sadly mistaken.  
> Prepare for all of the self-inflicted torture and angst, awkward conversations, and teasing from siblings.  
> And poor Scorpius, he might not have many chapters if I can't figure out what to do with him all locked away in the Manor for days.  
> His chapter might end up being one super long one, or they might be to every few of Albus'.  
> Once again, I have no clue how long this will be.  
> I thought it was going to be like 3 more chapters, but the other fic was also supposed to get them together after Hogsmeade (we saw how that turned out, haha), and everyone knows how I like to ramble.  
> Oh look, I'm doing it now, and this is only a note! ;)
> 
> Comments keep me going, I am always throwing my arms up with joy whenever I see that email notification pop up, or refresh my page and see a number other than 0 next to Inbox.  
> The more you chat me, the more I chat back. Though I try to always respond at least with a "yay"


	2. Brotherly affection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albus deals with the long days before Christmas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slight delay.  
> I have been suffering writer's block something terrible.  
> Expect more of it for the next one.

The second Albus got inside the house, he ran upstairs to his room.  The car ride had been a long and tiresome experience, and for once in his life, he missed having James there to fill up the silences that were left behind.  Lily and he had shared a look upon entering the vehicle that said ‘no blabbing about anything you’ve seen the other doing in school,’ so other than the responses to their parent’s rapid-fire questions, they hadn’t spoken all that much.  It made the ride feel twice as long.

It wasn’t that he didn’t feel up to talking. Albus was never really the chatty type when it came to his parents anyhow; but at the moment, he had a ton of things on his mind.  Just as Scorpius was terrified of the two of them being forcefully separated, Albus was anxious about all the things that could go wrong.  For Scorpius’ sake he’d kept it inside, but now that he was alone, that fear and dread bubbled up inside of him, threatening to claw its way out of his mouth.

Instead of worrying, he sat down and wrote a letter.  It didn’t say much, he didn’t have new information to add, so he mostly just mentioned how he wished Scorpius were still with him and sent it along its way.  Scorpius may or may not have decided to write his own letter, but if he hadn’t, it would be a few days before he received a response.  Groaning, his head connected with the hard surface of his desk, the responding echo satisfying somehow.

A knock sounded at the door, two light taps that meant it was probably his mother.  “Albus, darling, are you all right,” she called through the closed door, usually respecting his privacy enough not to open it without permission unless she thought he was unwell or in danger.

Albus sat upright, rubbing the sore spot on his forehead.  “You can come in, mum,” he called, hoping there wasn’t a giant red mark left behind.  His mother had impeccable timing, per usual.

Ginny opened the door, glancing around the room before her brown eyes landed on him and she smiled.  “Settling in?  If you’re tired, you can nap until supper.  Dad says it’ll be another hour or so before the stew is ‘perfect for consumption.’”

Humming quietly, Albus shook his head.  “That’s alright, mum.  I fell asleep on the train again, so I really don’t need to.  I was just writing to Scorpius, let him know the muggle contraption didn’t result in death or dismemberment.”  He smiled when Ginny made a sour face at his crude joke.

“Albus, you shouldn’t joke about things like that,” she scolded.

“Sorry,” he winced.  Perhaps it had been in poor taste.  A beat of silence passed between them, the sounds of Harry clinking around in the kitchen below floating up in a gentle hum.

“It’s strange, isn’t it?”  He looked at her curiously and she leaned back against the doorframe with a small sigh.  “James is normally so loud whenever he’s here, it’s easy to forget my other two are so quiet.”  She sounded a little lonely, taking him completely by surprise.

Albus felt a stab of guilt in the pit of his stomach.  “I’m sorry, mum.  Do you want me to come out?  Maybe we could have a cup of tea and talk more about school and things.”

Ginny smiled at her son with warm affection.  “That’s okay, Al.  You finish getting settled in and unpacking.  I just wanted to let you know when dinner is ready.  I’ll holler when it’s time.”

“Alright,” he mumbled, still feeling a small inkling of guilt regardless of his mother’s slightly more cheerful disposition. 

There was no need, in truth, she probably saw James far more often than her other children.  He’d always been a mommy’s boy, so there was little doubt in Albus’ mind that he’d turn up weekly or more to sit down with their parents and enjoy their father’s cooking.  His mother might be a rubbish cook, but his father was pretty excellent at it.  Still, Albus could try a little harder to be more like James.

The door closed behind her with a soft click, pulling him from his thoughts.  With an hour to spare and nothing else to kill the time with, Albus got to work unpacking his bag, ignoring the deep aching sensation steadily worming its way through his chest.

* * *

 

The Potter household fell into its usual Christmas break routine; with failed attempts from his mother to bake edible Christmas cookies for their family, Lily and him fighting over which movie to watch on their singular mandatory movie night, and his father flitting around trying to keep the house from being burnt to the ground; all the while putting his foot down to choose A Christmas Story for them, as if they hadn’t watched it every other year already.

The only difference was the lack of James moping about while he waited for letters from whichever girl he was seeing that break, falling onto the couch with heavy sighs and staring out the window with forlorn expressions.  That torch was now passed to Albus, so in all, it felt almost the same.

No one questioned his moodiness, mistaking his furrowed brow and quiet disposition for his usual standoffish demeanor.  Only Lily looked at him with eyes watery with understanding, though she didn’t dare console him around their parents, knowing all too well that their mother was as sharp and observant as she was nosy and overbearing.

Albus was rubbish at keeping things from her once she pressed him hard enough, and it wasn’t fair to Scorpius to blow their agreement just because he couldn’t keep his emotions reined in properly.  Mostly, he kept to his room to avoid confrontation, writing even more letters that would probably never be sent out.  It helped with the itch steadily growing beneath his skin, though only just.

Before he knew it, Christmas Eve was upon them, the Potter family sitting down to a nice meal in the accompaniment of the eldest son.  James arrived by floo just as Harry pulled the ham out of the oven, so other than a few squealing greetings from the women, the Potter men didn’t get much of a chance to say hello. 

It suited Albus just fine, the wild longing building up inside of him forcing his mouth into a tight-lipped scowl of a look.  James quirked a brow at his gloominess, but otherwise ignored the lack of flowing conversation bubbling up from his side of the table, Lily going above and beyond in her chattiness to ease some of the pressure off the others noticing.

In the morning, they would be going to his Gran’s for Christmas breakfast, taking along their presents to be opened afterward in front of the entire family, as was the tradition since before he was born.  For the moment, he could make it through the rest of the meal, then head straight back up to his room to hide away.

Or he thought he could if it wasn’t for James and his annoyingly observant tendencies.  It definitely was something he’d inherited from their mother, as their father was about as perceptive as a brick wall.  Which is to say, not very.

“Albus,” James singsonged, blocking the escape before the he could manage to slip past.  Hard brown eyes stared down at him inquisitively from their three-inch height difference, a devious expression slipping across his handsome face.  “Don’t you want to catch up with your dear older brother, whom you haven’t seen in months?”

“Not at all,” Albus deadpanned, crossing arms over his chest.  “Besides, there isn’t much to tell you, and I already heard everything you’ve been up to, seeing as how you can’t help but talk about yourself incessantly.”

James chuckled, leaning back against the doorway with a soft grin.  “That’s true, but I have this hunch, see, and if you don’t want me to blab my ideas to mum, you’ll sit down and have a proper talk with me. Immediately.”

The color drained from his face, mouth going slack as he watched his brother inspect his nailbeds with nonchalance.  Swallowing hard, Albus pouted.  “You wouldn’t dare,” he muttered even as he knew that was a lie.  James was just as much of a tattletale as Lily was a conniving little prat.  Both of his siblings weren’t above using blackmail to get what they wanted out of someone.

“Oh, wouldn’t I?  Well, if you insist, I guess I’ll just go have a chat with her now.”  Kicking off the wall, he sauntered away, hands in his pockets as he attempted and failed to whistle a tune.

“Fine,” Albus seethed, clenching his jaw in angry defeat.  “We can do it your way, but I’m not going to let you manipulate me into telling you anything that isn’t your business.  You have fifteen minutes, then I’m going to my room.”

James beamed at him, coming over to wrap an arm around his shoulders in an awkwardly chummy way.  “I knew you could be reasoned with, Al.  Well, then, come.  Step into my office and we shall discuss your Hogwarts adventures.”

“You don’t have an office here, you git,” Albus mumbled, reluctantly allowing the older boy to pull him away.

“Details,” James waved his hand dismissively through the air.  “Besides, it’s as good as an office now, for how often I use it as one.”  He took the stairs two at a time, opening the door and motioning for Albus to head in.  “After you, little brother.”

Heaving a sigh, Albus obliged.

The room was much the way he remembered it, posters of various Quidditch teams pinned up along the walls, the small bed pushed up against the corner to account for the lack of space.  There were no longer clothing items littering the floor, and his trunk wasn’t at the foot of the bed, but if Albus didn’t know any better, he’d say James still lived there.

“I thought you moved your things to your flat,” he inquired curiously, shuffling over to plop down on the bed.

James pulled over his swivel chair, straddling the thing backward and resting his chin on his arms crossed along the back.  “I decided to keep some things here, just in case.  Sometimes I get off and come over to visit, and I’m so dead that it’s all I can do to stumble up the steps and fall onto the mattress.  I would hate to splinch myself attempting to apparate.”

“You can’t floo?”

James smirked.  “Nah, the place doesn’t have anywhere to set up a network.  I normally just head straight home after a long day, but sometimes dad insists I come along with him.  Nothing beats a home cooked meal, so I’m not complaining.  Anyway, enough about me.  Let’s hear about you, oh gloomy one.”

Albus swore under his breath, hoping he could keep James talking about other things long enough to forget about whatever crazy thought he had inside his head.  From the way the other hummed in amusement, he figured his brother had guessed his plans.  “There isn’t much to say," he relented with a scowl.  "Just another typical year at Hogwarts, much like all the others.”

“That’s rubbish, and you know it," James said as he clucked his tongue disapprovingly.  “And your fourth year was plenty out of the ordinary, so that range is vast.”

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair.  “Okay, it was less exciting than fourth year, but much the same as all the rest.”

James shot him a flat look like he didn’t buy the lie.  It really was mostly the truth. Aside from the very last day in the castle, Albus would have been able to say nothing of great significance truly happened the entire time.  Sure, he’d discovered his attraction to his mate toward the end of the previous school year, which made a few things seemingly awkward, but that didn’t differ much from what he was used to.  Hogwarts was always awkward for him.

Furrowing his brow, James’ eyes bore into him, assessing something quietly before he gave a firm nod.  “There’s something you’re not telling me, and based on your actions, I’m going to say it has to do with you fancying someone.”

Albus spluttered indignantly, wondering how his brother had managed to get so good at reading him.  It wasn’t long ago that James was too preoccupied with himself to even spare Albus more than a fleeting glance.  “Why the sudden interest in my life,” he asked, hoping to steer the conversation into safer waters.

“Because you’re my brother, you prat.”

Albus deadpanned again.  “Right, and that meant so much to you before,” he stated dryly, feeling an inkling of guilt when James winced in acknowledgment.

“As far as brothers go, I know I haven’t been the best.”  He ignored Albus’ snort of agreement, rolling his eyes with a soft sigh.  “But I’ve never not cared about you, Al.  So, if there’s ever something you need to talk about, you can always owl me.  I’ll try my best to help.”

“Thanks, James, I’ll keep that in mind.”

James smiled brightly in response.  “Great.  Now tell me about this _person_ you fancy.  What are they like?”

Narrowing his eyes, he didn’t miss the way his brother worded the statement.  “I never admitted I fancied anyone.  You came to that conclusion all on your own.”

“Please,” James chuckled, leaning back against the desk in a lazy fashion, elbows kissing the deep red wood.  “I think I know what pining looks like.  It’s far more sighing and spaced out looks than your normal moodiness.  I’m surprised mum hasn’t caught on, considering how often she had to deal with me.”  He grinned cheekily, seemingly pleased with himself.  “So, do they like you back, or is it all one sided?”

“Why do you keep referring to them as a they,” he huffed, crossing arms over his chest.

“So, you’re not going to deny it, then,” James asked, grinning even wider.

Albus scowled.  “That wasn’t an affirmation, I was just wondering why you don’t say she.”

The older boy rolled his eyes again.  “I’m not oblivious to the ways of the world, Albus.  I know not everyone fits into a little bubble, and I’m not going to assume that you are the same as I am.  You have yet to show much interest in anyone, from what I can tell.  Aside from Scorpius.”

The offhand way he said it indicated it wasn’t an accusation, but Albus still felt a steady blush rising to his cheeks.  If James noticed in short passings, he wondered who else might think much the same.  “Er, yes.  They… they do.”

James’ eyebrows rose high on his forehead, watching intently as Albus squirmed in his seat.  Leaning forward, he wrapped his arms around the chair back once more.  “They, huh?  Are you not going to admit whether it’s a girl or boy?”

“That’s none of your business,” he muttered, dropping his gaze into his lap as cheeks burned hot with embarrassment.  Admitting something like that would make the who undeniably clear, and he wasn’t ready to tell anyone outside those who already knew from the moment they stepped off the train.

James hummed in contemplation, tapping a finger to his chin.  “Well, I suppose that’s good enough for me.  I wish you luck, Al.”  He smiled brightly, swinging a leg off the chair to rise to his feet.

Albus followed, shuffling toward the door.  He paused just before stepping outside, turning his gaze back up to meet the other’s.  “So, you’re not going to say anything, right?  I don’t want anyone pressing me on the subject.”

“Nah,” he waved his hand dismissively through the air.  “Besides, it’s much more fun to watch everyone figure it out for themselves.”

Before he could ask what that was supposed to mean, James shoved him out of the room, closing the door in his face with a soft click of the lock.  He stared at it agape for a moment before turning on his heel and entering his own room down the hall.  The clock on the night table said it was still before nine, but the sudden heaviness in his limbs told him sleep would come easily if he allowed it.

Kicking off his shoes, he shimmied out of his trousers, pulling off his shirt and tossing it to the floor.  Sleeping half nude was rare whilst living with a bunch of boys, so he relished the fact it became possible during either break, even if it was freezing cold outside at that moment.

A light trickling breeze blew through the small crack between the window and sill, ghosting over his bare skin with an icy touch.  Burrowing beneath the thick quilt his gran had sewn for him, in Slytherin greens and silvers no less, he settled down for a much-needed rest.  Just as his eyelids began to droop precariously, a gentle peck on the glass behind his head caused him to crane his neck to get a better look.

The beautiful milky white face of the Malfoy’s barn owl Crux met his gaze, dark eyes sparkling in the soft glow of lamplight as it shone through the curtains.  His ruddy brown feathers ruffled in acknowledgment, beak tapping the glass to ask for permission to enter.

A smile curled his lips, shuffling around in the bed to allow himself to throw open the window, ignoring the blast of frigid air laced sweet with the promise of snow.  “Hey Crux, I didn’t expect to see you here so soon.  I just sent out my reply this morning.  Nyra is probably on her way there, still.”

The owl regarded him quietly, offering up the letter still tied to his leg.

“Oh, right.  Sorry.”  He took the parchment carefully, setting it down on the bed before getting up and rifling through his things for a treat of some sort. 

All he found was a bit of old dry biscuit, but the bird snatched it up happily, giving a small hoot of appreciation.  Before he could ask him to wait for the reply, Crux took off through the open window, soaring through the inky black night.

Albus watched him break through the clouds, disappearing inside the thick white vapor before closing the window back up again, seeking comfort beneath the still warm sheets.  With the letter in hand, he unfurled the soft grey paper, snuggling down into the mattress as his eyes skimmed across the achingly familiar handwriting.

> _Albus,_  
>  _If I’ve done this properly, you should be getting this letter just before bed on Christmas Eve.  Happy Christmas, Al.  I’ve no doubt I’ll be getting my own letter from you soon, and I admire your ability to tire out all the owls at your disposal just to ensure I receive a new one each and every morning._  
>  _I miss you, too, and I can’t wait for the next few days to hurry up and end so I can see you again.  I hope you don’t mind, I’m not going to be sending your gift to the Burrow like I normally do.  I’d like to have you open it once you get here._  
>  _Sorry if you’ve already sent mine on ahead, I promise I won’t open it until I know you’re fine with it.  Have we ever actually exchanged gifts in person before?  I don’t believe we have.  Well, you haven’t.  I have, what with your birthday being in April.  I’m rambling again, aren’t I?_  
>  _I hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your family, Al.  Don’t forget to have a good time._  
>  _All my love,_  
>  _Scorpius_
> 
> _P.S. Ah, now that I think about it, perhaps I should have said something else at the end?  Best regards?  All the best?  How does one end a letter like this?_  
>  _Upon reading through the two you’ve sent, I see you’ve said the same thing.  I’ll stop writing now, before I ruin the sentiment completely._

With a newfound smile on his lips, he pressed the paper to his chest, breathing in the heavenly scent of old books, lavender, and chocolate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love James.  
> Well, I hope that was satisfactory.  
> I am currently suffering sleep deprivation on top of the writer's block, so bear with me on that one if it was a little blah.  
> I know the next chapter is supposed to be Scorpius.  
> I don't know if it will be, or if it will be half and half, or what I'm going to do.  
> For now, I am focusing on how much I can write for him. 
> 
> Comments are lovely,  
> I thank everyone for the love I've already received. ^^  
> <3 <3 <3


	3. Christmas with the Weasleys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albus shares Christmas with his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorrrrrrry for the delay, and sorry for the filler chapter after such a delay. I couldn't pass up the opportunity for the family fluff. p.s. It kind of needed to happen for story progression.

Albus awoke on Christmas morning to a barrage of shouts and pounding thumps, eyes springing open as his heart nearly leaped from his chest in fright.  Orange sunlight trickled in through the deep green curtains covering the window, signaling the earliness of the hour.

“Mum!  Tell James to quit hogging the bathroom like a sodding girl, some of us would like to get ready, too,” Lily whined loudly right next to his door, stamping her foot for emphasis.

“Lily Luna Potter, what did I tell you about watching your language,” Ginny bellowed across the house, no doubt already on her way to reprimand the girl further.

Lily let out a wail, hopping up and down, or possibly marching in place.  “But, _M_ _um_.  He has no respect for those of us who actually need time to get ready."

Pounding on the bathroom door, her tone changed from whiney to vehement.  “I swear to Merlin, James, if you don’t get out of there I’m going to hex your stupid hair bogey yellow for a week, you prat.”

Albus buried his head beneath his pillow, letting out a groan of annoyance at his family’s uncanny ability to be up and arguing at six thirty in the morning.  On  _Christmas_ , of all days.  He did not miss this, not in the least.

James laughter rang out in obnoxiously loud cackles.  “Too bad you can’t use magic outside of school, Lils.  You’re still underage so the threat isn’t really intimidating.”

“Just watch me,” Lily hissed, lowering her voice so their mother wouldn’t hear.  “I’ll tell Aunt Hermione that when she gets word of underage magic in the Potter household, it was because you are a bloody obnoxious  _wanker_.”

“I heard that, Lily, and you will be doing no such thing,” Ginny snarled her way up the steps, taking them with footfalls so heavy, Albus swore someone had released an Erumpent in their house.  

After a beat of silence, more pounding could be heard upon the bathroom door.  “James Sirius Potter, you get out of there and stop teasing your sister.  You’ve been in there for fifteen minutes at least, so either shit or get off the pot!”

Rolling out of bed, Albus stomped his way to the door, throwing it open with an audible bang.  “Can you people learn how to be quiet for once?  Some of us are still trying to sleep in this house!”

Harry’s snickers carried up from the kitchen, Ginny and Lily shooting him sheepish, apologetic looks.  “Sorry Albus,” they chorused, just as James opened the bathroom door to grin at him.

“Well, now that you’re awake, you might as well come have a cup of coffee while we wait for Mum and Lily to get ready,” he said, beaming as he slipped from the room and wrapped an arm around Albus’ shoulders.

Albus glared at the lot of them, a low growl emanating in his throat.  “Why can’t we be a normal family, that does normal things, like sleeping in on  _Christmas_?”

“Oh, Al,” Ginny hummed affectionately, swooping the two of them up in an awkwardly stiff one-sided hug.  Pulling back, she patted his cheek gently.  “Tough break, kid.”

“Yeah, Al, why would you ever want to be normal,” James asked, tugging him along with impressive strength.

Albus struggled against his brother for a moment before he gave up with a sigh, crossing arms over his chest like a petulant child.  “Right.  Silly me.  Who would want peace and quiet when they could have loud and boisterous at six thirty in the morning,” he stated dryly, earning a four-way chuckle that sounded from different areas around the house.

As the two stepped into the kitchen, Harry handed them both a steaming cup of fresh coffee.  Taking off his glasses, he cleared the fog from his lenses with the end of his shirt, slipping them back on with a half-hearted shrug.  “You get used to it, all the noise.  Silence isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

“I wouldn’t know, I never get it,” Albus deadpanned.

James snorted into his cup, slipping into a chair at the breakfast nook.  “You should be thankful, you know.  Not everyone has such a loving family as you do, Albus.”

“Your brother is right, Al,” Harry said with a small smile.  “It may be cramped and noisy, at times, but it is preferable to being alone at Christmas.”

Albus had to physically stop himself from rolling his eyes.  “Oh, Merlin, dad.  I just want to sleep in for once.  I’m not saying I wished you’d all disappear from my life.  Just… maybe a nice silencing spell every now and then, or else an agreed upon rule that no one is allowed to stomp through the house screeching on Christmas morning until after eight AM.”

“Good luck getting Lily to agree to that one,” James quipped, taking another hearty sip from his cup. 

Albus followed suit, closing his eyes as the warm wash of properly brewed coffee coated his tongue.  Not that the coffee at school wasn’t acceptable.  The house elves just couldn’t make it like Harry Potter. 

“And anyway, Gran likes us to be over there before nine.  Do you really think the women in this house could manage something like that after getting up at only eight?”

“I heard that,” Ginny scolded her eldest child with a half-amused look, taking her own cup of coffee from her husband and planting a loud kiss on his cheek.  “And I’ll have you know, your sister is much slower than I am, thank you very much.  Why, I’m practically ready now.”

Harry quirked an eyebrow at his wife.  “Gin.  Er, I hate to break it to you, but fuzzy slippers and your nightclothes under your robe are hardly what I’d call _practically ready_.”

Waving a flippant hand their direction, she leaned against the counter and held the cup up to her mouth to take a nice, slow sip.  “Oh god, that’s good,” she moaned, finishing the mug in one large gulp and slamming it down beside her.  Kicking off the cupboards, she sauntered out of the room.  “Alright, I’ll be back in a flash.  Don’t get too comfortable.”

Harry sighed, pulling out a tin of biscuits and offering it to each of his boys.  “This could be a while.  Might as well keep your blood sugar up so we don’t all faint before we get to the Burrow.”

“I heard that, too,” Ginny’s voice echoed across the house from her room upstairs.

James snickered around a mouth full of biscuit, taking a sip of coffee to wash it down with.  “I swear it’s a Weasley woman thing.  Gran has supersonic hearing, too, but only when you’re trying to be sneaky.”

“Nah, Lily is half deaf, must be a Mum thing,” Albus quipped.

“Albus,” Harry scolded, the look on his face torn between reprimanding and amused.

“No, he’s right, dad.  Though I think it’s more selective than anything.”

“Best to avoid this topic, yeah,” Harry asked with a wry smile.  “Wouldn’t want to land ourselves in trouble before the day has even begun.”

* * *

 

Christmas morning at the Burrow was utter chaos.  Too many Weasleys all stuffed into one room, too much noise as the smallest of the children screamed with glee and the adults exchanged personal tales, and all around just  _too much_  for someone as quiet and reserved as Albus Potter.  The need to flee was overwhelming, even if he did love all of their obnoxiously loud faces.

The breakfast table had been magicked to accommodate every one of them, the room thankfully larger than the stories his parents told of a time when only nine or so needed to squeeze into it.  That didn’t stop Albus from feeling squished between his brother and cousin Victoire, elbows knocking every now and then as one of them reached for their glasses of pumpkin juice, or in his case, far too many cups of coffee.

Rose was shooting him sly looks from across the room that he couldn’t decipher the meaning to.  His traditional Weasley sweater, though thankfully a lovely Slytherin green with a silver A and trim along the neckline and cuffs, was making him sweat profusely with all of their bodies crowded so close together.  His knee hurt from where his cousin Louis kicked him hard during his recant of the Ravenclaw vs Hufflepuff Quidditch match where he caught the snitch by pulling a very Harry-type move and dove for it before he crashed into the ground, breaking his arm in the process.  Ravenclaw won, of course, so the broken bone was inconsequential.

The second Albus saw his window of opportunity to sneak away, he took it and ran. 

Gran and his Mum cleaned dishes in the kitchen while a few of his Aunts tidied up the table.  The Weasley men, Harry included, sat down in the parlor to talk the Quidditch Cup, their voices loud and suspiciously slurred considering it was still before eleven AM.  Most of his cousins wandered off in groups based close to their age range to do Merlin knows what, probably light off more fireworks, though hopefully, they’d learned from the time they almost set the house on fire by aiming them toward the roof.

He hadn’t gotten more than six steps when Rose stepped in his direct route of escape, a strange look gleaming in her dark eyes.

“And where do you think you’re going, dear cousin,” she purred, crossing her arms delicately over her chest.  Her wild curly hair was pulled high atop her head in a messy bun, the dusting of freckles across her nose burning brighter against the pink of her normally pale face.

Albus quirked a brow at her glassy-eyed expression, leaning in slightly to sniff the area closer to her mouth.  “Are you… drunk,” he asked incredulously, sitting back with a lopsided smile on his lips.

Rose blinked a few times before her brow furrowed low over her eyes.  “You didn’t answer my question.  And it’s none of your business.”

“If it’s none of my business, my comings and goings are none of yours,” he quipped, sidestepping the girl with ease in her sluggishly slow and confused state.

A hand grabbed his arm before he could get another two steps closer to freedom.  “Wait,” Rose whined, drawing his attention back to her embarrassed looking face.  Lips pursed, expression pained, she heaved a sigh, shoulders slumping slightly in defeat.  “Okay, maybe I had just a little bit of liquid courage,” she conceded quietly.

Albus smirked.  “Courage for what, if you don’t mind my asking.”

Rose shuffled a bit in place, eyes flicking around before she invaded his personal space.  “I just… I thought I might… well…” another sigh escaped her lips, the hints of something spicy on her breath.  “I just wanted to know if you’ve… you know, told them yet?  About you?”

Albus frowned in confusion before reality trickled in.  “Oh,” he said, giving the girl another once over.  Her skin, despite the gentle flush of drink, was paler than usual, eyes red-rimmed and puffy from either crying or lack of sleep.  There was a crease to her brow that never seemed to lessen, even as she looked at him with frantic eyes.  “Ah, well.  No. Not yet,” he mumbled, and he couldn’t tell if Rose deflated from relief or disappointment.

“When are you?  I mean, you are going to tell them, right?”

“I was considering hiding it until the wedding day,” Albus deadpanned, smirking when his cousin’s look went from surprised to cross.

“Albus,” she hissed, smacking him on the arm.  “Can’t you be serious right now?  I’m in the middle of a crisis.”

He frowned even harder at that, narrowing his eyes in thought.  “Why would you…” Rose gave him a pointed look and he stopped short of smacking his forehead in realization.  “Oh!  Right.  Er, I wasn’t going to tell them until the end of our break.  Scorpius asked me not to, just in case. Why?  Are you… thinking about telling your parents?”

Rose’s face rippled with strange emotions.  “Er.  Well, you see.  I.  Uhm.”  She blinked rapidly for a moment as if holding back tears.  “I honestly don’t know what I’d tell them,” she finally admitted after a beat of awkward silence.

Albus quirked a brow.  “That you fancy girls, perhaps?”

“I know that,” she stage-whispered vehemently, clapping a surprisingly cold hand over his mouth.  “I just… it’s not the same for me as it is for you.”  When Albus continued to give her a curious look, she rolled her eyes.  “I mean that I’m torn.  It’s not like I’ve mentioned it before now, and I’ve known all this time.”

“I don’t understand,” Albus mumbled from behind her hand, snickering when she yanked it away with a disgusted look and rubbed it along her sweater to wipe off his saliva.

“Would you just blurt out you fancy boys if you and Scorpius weren’t boyfriends?”  Albus’ eyes widened in response, Rose nodding sadly. “Katie and I…  we didn’t exactly confirm anything before we parted ways, and now I’m unsure what to do.  I feel like a liar if I don’t say anything, but I’d feel like an idiot if I did and then… you know.”

“Oh hell,” Albus croaked, swallowing hard against the unease bubbling in his stomach.

Rose’s eyes widened in surprise.  “I didn’t think you’d be so concerned for me, Albus.”

“What?  Oh, no.  I mean, yes, I understand your dilemma.  But… ah.”  Albus felt his cheeks flame in embarrassment.  Rose gave him a strange look and he gulped.  “We’re not, either?”

“You’re not what?”

“B-boyfriends,” Albus stammered, wincing at the whiney sound of his voice.  “I didn’t… we didn’t… I thought it was just automatically understood when you snog someone for hours?”

Rose blinked in awkward silence for a moment, before a high trill of giggles burst from her lips.  Hands flew up to contain the sound, but her entire body still vibrated with glee, tears of mirth springing up in the corners of her eyes.  “Oh, Al,” she gasped, face going redder as she hiccupped with laughter.  “That’s not how things work, you dolt.”

Albus groaned and covered his face with both hands.  “Glad to see you find my predicament amusing.”

“No, no,” Rose snorted, giggling more when Albus glared at her through his fingers.  As her amusement subsided, she placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.  “You don’t have to worry about that, anyhow.  You at least discussed telling your parents, which is an affirmation of _something_.  I’m really not surprised neither one of you talked about it, seeing as how you’re both idiots.”

“Hey,” Albus yelped, crossing arms over his chest.  “We were just far too absorbed in other things to discuss the semantics of everything.”

Rose crinkled her nose.  “Ew.”

“N-not like that,” Albus stammered, blushing profusely.  “We were enjoying one another’s company before we weren’t able to for weeks, is all.  Discussions were limited to when we’d tell them, not what we should call things.”

“At least you have an affirmative,” Rose sighed wistfully, leaning back against the wall.  Her brown eyes took on a faraway look, with just a hint of sadness.  “I honestly don’t know what to do.”

Albus matched her stance, bumping shoulders with the girl gently.  “I’m pretty sure you have nothing to worry about in that department, but if it bothers you so much, why don’t you just write and ask her?”

“You don’t think it would be odd,” she asked, sparing him a sidelong glance.

“Not in the least,” he smiled, wrapping an arm around her in a show of affection.  “Besides, we never spoke of it directly, but I seem to recall Katie saying something about being in the same boat as I was.  I’m not the most observant person,” Rose snickered at that, “but I think I’m correct when I say she was talking about you.”

“Thanks, Al,” Rose smiled up at him, leaning into their sideways sort-of-embrace and dropping her head against his arm.  “I had this idea that I was going to just do it when you did, throw it out there so it didn’t seem so big when paired with another’s confession.  I’m actually kind of relieved I don’t have to with the entire family here.  Can you imagine the barrage of questioning we’d receive?”

Albus snorted at that.  “If Scorpius didn’t ask me not to, I considered doing it today.  I figured I’d just get it over and done with so I could avoid weeks of letters at school.”  A thought occurred to him and he paled.  “You don’t think we’ll get a howler, do you?  Gran would know better than to do that in front of the whole school, right?”

Rose giggled.  “Well, if she does, you can at least be comforted by the fact it’ll happen to me, as well.  It takes the sting off when someone else is being publicly ridiculed alongside you.”

“I thought you cared about other’s opinions,” Albus’ eyebrows rose high in surprise.

She hummed softly, shaking her head.  “Maybe once, and perhaps in certain areas.  But not with this.  I only haven’t told anyone because it didn’t matter beforehand.  There are some things people don’t need to know about you until they become relevant.”

“And all the boys you turned down over the years?  It wouldn’t have been easier to just tell them they’d never had a chance, to begin with?”

“I hardly think that’s considered as something relevant, Albus.  I don’t have to fancy someone to enjoy their company.  And I never implied they would, I didn’t flirt or ever speak with some of them.”  She gave him a pointed look and he rolled his eyes.  “So no, it wasn’t necessary.”

Albus opened his mouth to say something when Ginny and Hermione walked into the small hallway the two were hidden in, stopping short to gape when they found their children leaning into each other in such a friendly manner.

“Oh.  Albus.  I was looking for you,” Ginny said, eyes shifting between the two of them before landing on Hermione in a questioning look. Turning back, she smiled.  “Your Gran wants to chat with us before we leave.”

Hermione nodded in agreement.  “You, too, Rose.  Do you know where your brother is, by chance?”

Rose stepped away from Albus, looking a little nervous.  “Er, no?”

“That’s all right, I’ll find him.  You and Albus hurry off and we’ll finish rounding up the rest.”  She smiled warmly at her daughter before pulling Ginny off in the opposite direction.  The two women whispered feverishly as they made their way outside.

“That was weird,” Albus said with a frown.

Rose chuckled.  “Probably not as weird as it was for them to see us being civil to one another.  I guess I let it slip my mind to inform Mum we’re on speaking terms again.”

“We weren’t before,” Albus quipped, cocking a brow at the nervous girl.

Rose flushed.  “Sorry.”

He waved a flippant hand her direction.  “It’s in the past.”

“Thanks, Al,” she murmured, smiling brightly.

Albus smiled back and shrugged.  “Well, let’s get this over with already.”

* * *

 

“So, Albus.  Did you have a good time at the ball?”

Albus turned away from his uncle George’s retelling of his Hogwarts shenanigans to blink in perplexment at his Aunt Angelina.  They were all seated about the living room, people squished onto couches or plopped down on the floor.  Albus had the good sense to pull up a dining room chair, straddling it backward so he had a place to rest his chin.

His aunt Fleur perked up at that, blue eyes sparkling with excitement.  “Oh yes, ze Yule Ball.  I remember it fondly from my time zhere at Hogwarts.  Before ze…  _tragedie_.”  Her voice dropped low in sadness before she clapped her hands together.  “But I bet it was  _Tres Magnifique_ , no?”

“Er, it was all right,” Albus mumbled, glancing around at the sudden attention he was getting from various older women, including his grandmother.

“Did you meet any cute American girls and dance the night away,” his aunt Audrey giggled from her place beside his uncle Percy, who looked quite sour about his brother’s admittance of breaking more than fifteen school rules under his very nose.

Albus flushed.  “Not… exactly,” he mumbled, thinking about the only American he  _did_  dance with, and how he was most assuredly not a girl. The memory of Kyle’s sudden kiss had his stomach in knots, palms sweating where they curled at his sides.

“Did you have a date,” Angelina asked with a sly smirk, misreading his nervousness as something else.

“Uh.”

Rose leaned over and smiled, drawing all eyes her way.  “Actually, Albus and I went with a small group as just friends.  It was less nerve-wracking that way, without having to worry about asking someone or being asked.”

Angelina nodded.  “That makes sense.  My friends and I did the same thing when we attended our ball.  I hope you got at least a few dances in, though.  Even if they were just friendly ones,” she gave the two of them expectant looks, and something strange bubbled in his throat.

“I can’t dance,” Albus blurted, eyes going wide as the words tumbled from his lips.

The women around him stared in quiet confusion before several sets of eyes turned to look accusingly at Ginny.  She held her hands up in a placating manner.  “Hey, don’t blame me, it’s his father’s genes that gave him two left feet.  Lily also can’t dance, though James was thankfully spared.”

“Mum,” Lily squawked indignantly, cheeks burning red in embarrassment.  After a beat of silence, she pointed a finger at Rose.  “She can’t dance, either.”

Rose covered her face with both hands and groaned.  “No one taught me,” she cried, throwing Hermione under the bus.

Heads whipped around to raise eyebrows at the Minister for Magic.

“Er,” Hermione glanced around before pulling Hugo over by the arm.  “He can dance,” she mumbled weakly.

Molly snorted.  “That’s because I taught my grandson after he asked.  Not that Ronald was ever any good at dancing, either.  Clumsy child, that one."

Ron’s ears perked up at the slight against him.  “Hey, I’ll have you know I’m a wonderful dancer.  Better than Harry, no doubt.”

Harry chuckled when everyone turned to him.  “Everyone here knows how rubbish I am at dancing.  Remember the time I almost took out the wedding cake when I tried to spin Gin around?  Good thing Hermione had her wand at the ready.”

“I thought they gave lessons before a dance,” George piped up, and the three cousins hid their faces in shame.

“Well,” Lily started.

Rose heaved a sigh.  “Technically.”

“They don’t help,” Albus mumbled, folding arms over his chest.  “Like Mum said, I think it’s in the genes.”

“Probably,” Ron agreed, wincing as his wife smacked him on the arm.

“Ronald, admitting that is an admittance to your faulty genes, as well,” Hermione chided.  “After all, there is only one common variable amongst the three of them.”

Molly rose abruptly, brow furrowed.  “That’s it.  I’ll not have grandchildren of mine picked on because they cannot dance.  You three, stay here.  The rest of you, if you’re not going to help, I insist that you find somewhere else to congregate for the time being.”  The stern look on her face had most of them fleeing from her wrath.

In the end, only a few of the women remained, along with Roxanne, who wasn’t even old enough to have attended the ball that year. 

Angelina gave her daughter a curious look, the young girl becoming equally red in embarrassment.  “I’d like to learn, too.  If that’s all right,” she stated shyly, twirling a lock of dark hair around her finger.

Molly smiled fondly at the eleven-year-old, holding out her arms to swoop the girl into a big hug.  “Of course, my dear.  You are never too young to learn how to dance.”

“I call Gran as a teacher,” Lilly beamed, leaning on the older woman and batting her eyelashes innocently as Molly patted her cheek affectionately.

“I can teach Roxanne,” Angelina shrugged, holding out a hand for her daughter to take.

Ginny sighed and leveled Albus with an apologetic look.  “I suppose I should have already taught my son before now, knowing how rubbish his father is at it.”

Fleur swept Rose up in a semi-waltz pose.  “And I shall teach my darling niece all zhat I know, since her  _mere_  did not think it necessary.”

Molly played soft music on the radio, and for the next hour or so, the four pairs stumbled and laughed their way around the small room.  It was different from his previous lessons, more giggling involved, but decidedly easier than dancing with your crush.  They all switched partners halfway through so that Albus was with Molly, Lily with Ginny, Fleur with Roxanne, and Angelina with Rose.

When they were done, Arthur took Molly for a quick spin about the room, followed by George with Angelina, Bill with Fleur, and Ron with Hermione.  Ron made it a point to prove to his mother that he wasn’t the cause of his daughter’s lack of skill, but then he stomped down on Hermione’s foot hard enough that she left him there to be teased incessantly by his older brothers until even he was laughing at himself.

Ginny sidled up next to Albus sometime later, wrapping an arm around his broad shoulders.  “See, you’re not as rubbish as your father is. With a little more practice, you’ll be ready to lead a dance.”

“Could you teach me,” Albus asked, turning to look at the slightly shorter woman.   _Since when did that happen?_   “If it’s not too much trouble, I mean.”

“Sure Al,” Ginny said with a warm smile.  “But you won’t be having another ball for some time yet.  And the waltz isn’t exactly a normal party dance.”

“It’s just… er… never mind.  It’s silly, forget it.”  Albus returned his focus to his aunts and uncles, ignoring the strange look playing out on his mother’s face.

Ginny hummed quietly.  “Well, if you really want to learn, we can practice at home starting tomorrow night.”

Albus glanced back in surprise, a smile pulling at his lips.  “Yeah?”

“Of course, Al.  I taught your brother to waltz in a week, and he couldn’t go two steps without stepping on my feet in the beginning.  I bet you’ll be a natural in just a few days.”

“Thanks, Mum,” he said leaning gently into her side.

They were quiet for some time before Ginny cleared her throat.  “So, those dance lessons at school can’t have been too terrible, if you have the basics down already.  Or did you practice with anyone else?”

Albus shrugged.  “Scorpius helped me at first, and then Katie and Kyle helped to refine that later.  I didn’t actually take the lessons, not with the teachers.”  He hummed in amusement.  “I think Lily did, though, because I saw her stepping on some poor bloke’s foot quite often that night, not that he said anything.”

“So, you learned the steps for fun, then?”

“No,” Albus said, frowning slightly.  “Scorpius offered and I figured it couldn’t hurt to know how.”

Ginny made a noncommittal sound in her throat.  “I see.  Did you dance then, I hope?  Even just a little?”

“With friends, yeah,” Albus mumbled.

“Good,” Ginny said, wrapping her other arm around him in a side hug.  Pulling back, she smiled.  “Well, I had better check up on your father. You remember what happened two Christmases ago when I left him alone with your uncle Charlie for too long.”

Albus chuckled.  “It  _was_  a little entertaining to see him so loose and relaxed, though.”

“True,” Ginny snickered.  “But nonetheless, I should stop things before they get out of hand.  We’ll be leaving soon, I should think.  Tell your brother and sister if you run into them.”

“Alright, Mum.”

She placed a wet kiss on his cheek before sauntering off.  Albus sat there for a little while longer, watching the happy couples sway in time to the beat, a gentle smile curling his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's my birthday today, guys!!!  
> (June 19th)  
> So, hope it wasn't entirely unwanted, and hooray for family dance lessons and fluffy times?  
> Scorpius next chapter, for real. He might not be the WHOLE chapter, but we'll get a little bit of something from his side. I'm sorry this chapter couldn't be all Scorpius, I was having trouble with him, so I moved on with Albus instead.
> 
> I might be tipsy from wine, so make me smile and I will write more.  
> P.s. it is never too forward to tell me to hurry it up and write, I need the discipline sometimes. ;)  
> <3


	4. Not a creature was stirring, not even a Malfoy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little quiet time at the Manor. Too quiet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, I'm horrible. Sorry for the lengthy delay. I have no excuse.

Scorpius found the Manor strangely quieter than it normally was. Which was saying something, as it was never all that loud, to begin with.  Perhaps it was different at one time, in a distant memory that now felt more like a dream with each new day he walked through the empty halls and found nothing but shadows and sadness and silence.

Ever since his mum had died, the Manor had become quite a depressing place to be.

The rooms, once filled to the brim with ringing laughter, flooded to the high ceilings with warmth and tenderness, were now hauntingly hollow; offering up only ghostly remnants of the past.  There used to be a certain brightness that emanated from the grey stone walls, making them shine like polished silver.  Now, they sat cold and dim, dull and lackluster in appearance.  Even the furniture looked dingy where it lay strewn haphazardly about the place, untouched by all except the clinging hands of dust; grimy and musty and unappealing.

Astoria would be appalled if she could witness the state of things, though Scorpius wondered briefly if it hadn’t looked much the same before his mother came and changed the place around with her love and kindness.  Perhaps it was just her very presence that he could feel lacking in the cracks and crevices, that the Manor had always been this way, and she’d made it glow just by entering a room.

Which was normally why his father made it a point to get out as often as possible, go somewhere else whenever the chance arose.  Even if only for the afternoon, the Malfoy men kept themselves busy enough that the hollowness wasn’t as apparent.  Unfortunately for them, that wasn’t an option this time round.

In fact, this was the first of his typically overstuffed holidays that found Scorpius curled up in the large bay window that overlooked the gardens, flitting through a paperback on its last legs of life.  The spine was cracked and broken in numerous places, the pages yellowed and crinkled with age.  He’d read it plenty of times beforehand, which was probably why it was so damaged now.  The frays and stains all told their own stories of the past, so he couldn’t bring himself to mend it with magic.  Even if that meant it was doomed to be unreadable quite soon.  Some things were more important than perfection.

A small sigh escaped his lips, eyes skipping over the familiar words that danced around his memories, weaving throughout his consciousness in echoes and ripples of sights and sound.  The coolness from the glass he pressed against encompassed his entire left side, while the crackling fire a few feet away tenderly warmed the rest of his body, leaving him somewhere pleasantly in the middle of just the right temperature, and perfectly relaxed.

There was nothing quite like a good book and a comfortable place to read it in.  Still, sitting inside and lounging around for days on end was positively boring in comparison to traveling the countryside and trying new things.  Not that he didn’t fully understand the reasoning behind his current predicament.

His father was busy planning his celebratory New Year’s party, owling letters out and flooing to places for long periods of time in order to assure everything would match up to the impeccable Malfoy standard.  The poor ostracized wizarding families who were most affected by the aftermath of the war, such as ones like his own, deserved only the best after their years of pariahdom due to the unfortunate occurrence of sharing familial ties with the Death Eaters.

Draco Malfoy had been at the forefront of fighting for their rights and assuring no discrimination could keep the innocent wizards from leading fulfilling lives.  It hadn’t always been his ambition, not when Astoria was still around and he was trying his hardest to dispel rumors about having the child of Voldemort living with them.  Now that she was gone from both of their lives, now that he had seen just how much his own son had to struggle and overcome, he’d thrown himself into this new kind of work with the vigor only a protective parent could have.

He’d succeeded in the end, of course, and together with a range of other Ministry officials had passed a stack of bills that would withhold potential employers and establishments from discriminating against a wizard based on his or her heritage. 

Hermione Granger-Weasley was quite adamant about it, as well, seeing as how she had suffered her own hurdles in life due to the misfortune of being born with the ‘wrong’ background.  It didn’t hurt, having the Minister on your side, and two years of hard work finally came to fruition.

It meant that Draco spent most waking hours inside of his study; save for meal times, which he’d insisted be shared together, if only to assure he spent a little bit of time with his son.  He’d also invite Scorpius along when he went places, on the occasion when it might prove to be less of a bore; though the younger Malfoy usually declined in favor of curling up in a comfy chair with a nice book or two. 

It wasn’t that Scorpius didn’t want to spend time with his father.  His heart was just a little too heavy from missing Albus and his mum to bring himself to venture out into new social settings.  The only time he had since returning home had been their apparation into Diagon Alley a few days prior, which allowed him the time to find a few gifts for Christmas.

_Scorpius stepped inside of Flourish and Blotts, eyes slipping shut as he inhaled deeply the scent of fresh parchment and printed ink, so much different from the musky scent of older books he was used to in the library at school or the one inside the Manor._

_Draco had left him momentarily to his own devices, needing to meet up with someone in the Leaky Cauldron for something before he could join Scorpius for their planned lunch in an hour or so.  Not that he’d minded; looking at the newest available books was far more entertaining than hanging out in a dank and dreary wizard pub._

_Walking down the aisles, he ran a finger along the different textures of spines, reading off the titles one by one and adding those he deemed interesting into the magicked bag he’d picked up at the front of the store.  It had the Undetectable Extension Charm placed on it, which made shopping for numerous books infinitely simpler than what wizards had done in the past, which was usually to float them carefully or else suffer through their weight._

_It took the better part of an hour to find himself truly satisfied with his intended purchases, and after that, he wandered into both Sugarplum’s Sweets Shop for a few bags of pepper imps, and the Junk Shop nearby, just to browse the silly objects that most people would never want to buy.  Honestly, who needed a broken wand or a set of lopsided scales?_

_Scorpius was chuckling at a broken Remembrall that swirled with smoke whenever someone_ didn’t _touch it, but couldn’t be bothered to do a thing once someone did, when Draco cleared his throat behind him, pulling him from his thoughts._

_“Having fun, there?”_

_Turning, he beamed up at the older man, thoroughly giddy.  “Actually, I am.  It’s quite entertaining to watch, which speaks volumes about my recent levels of boredom if I’m giggling at rubbish.”_

_Draco quirked an eyebrow in response.  “And there was nothing more entertaining to pass the time with in the entirety of Diagon Alley than the Junk Shop?”_

_Humming in contemplation, Scorpius lifted one arm up in a shrug.  “I already bought fifteen new books and a half pound of sweets.  There wasn’t much more left to do round here.”_

_“Did you find what you wanted to buy for Albus yet?”_

_“Well,” Scorpius said, rolling back onto his heels as his eyes scanned the old, dusty shelf.  “I was thinking about maybe checking out a few Muggle shops for ideas.  Diagon Alley is great, but there’s only so many times you can give someone books, brooms, parchment, and potion ingredients before it becomes redundant.”_

_“There are the vendors,” Draco offered, waving a flippant hand at the peddlers who often sold random goods along the sidewalks; commonly things that either didn’t work like they were supposed to or simply looked interesting but had no actual purpose._

_Scorpius crinkled his nose at the thought.  “I’d rather find something a little… nicer?”  When Draco continued to give him a strange look, he ducked his head and blushed.  “He’s my best mate, I think he deserves better than a protection stone that’s really just an intricately hand-painted pebble.”_

_After an awkward beat of silence, Draco sighed, glancing out the window as he ran a hand through his pale locks.  “I suppose we could check out a few places after we’ve had some lunch.”  Silver eyes suddenly flicked back to his son, a perfectly sculpted brow arching in question.  “Are you hungry now?”_

_Jumping up and down, Scorpius clapped his hands in excitement, leveling his father with a brilliantly blinding grin.  “Famished, actually.  The usual spot, then?”_

The sound of his father’s office door closing pulled him from his daydreams.  Marking the page in his book, he set it down next to him, stretching arms high above his head until his back cracked with a satisfying pop.

Draco was halfway to the kitchen when he caught sight of Scorpius stretched out by the window, a gentle smile curling his lips as he veered and changed course, coming to a stop a few feet away.  “If you’re not careful, you’ll catch a chill sitting in that spot.  I should know, I did it once when I was quite young.”

“You can’t catch a cold by being cold, dad,” Scorpius said with a laugh, swinging his legs off the bench-seat and letting them dangle as he leaned his back against the cool glass.  “Hypothermia, perhaps, but it isn’t _that_ cold.  I have the fire.”

Silver eyes crinkled at the corners in amusement.  “Alright, it was probably just a coincidence when it happened to me.  Didn’t stop your grandmother from refusing to let me sit within ten feet of that window anytime there was even a slight chill in the air.”

Scorpius chuckled at the imagery that instantly sprang to mind.  “Well, I guess I’m lucky you’re less of a worrywart, then,” he mused, picturing his grandmother’s haughty expression as she scolded a young, pouty boy until the child finally acquiesced.  In fact, there was a photo of that exact scene somewhere in one of their old albums.

Humming softly, Draco folded his arms behind his back.  “Would you like a cuppa?  Some food, perhaps?  I know it’s a little earlier than usual for lunch, but I have to head out soon and probably won’t be back until just before supper.”

Worrying a lip between his teeth, Scorpius shook his head.  “I’m fine, thank you.”

His father seemed to deflate a little, casting a sidelong glance toward the kitchen.  “I suppose Ivy can bring you something whenever you do get hungry.  Or you could come with me?  We can stop and catch a bite whenever you’re feeling up to it.  My schedule isn’t entirely set in stone, I can spare an hour whenever you’d like.”

“That’s okay, I’m good with staying here and reading some more.  Still have a few books I haven’t gotten around to starting yet.”  The smile he offered was supposed to be reassuring, but it only seemed to make Draco eye him worriedly.

Taking a step closer, Draco knelt down in front of his son, placing a reassuring hand on his knee.  His long, slender fingers were cold through the thin fabric of Scorpius’ trousers, but when he spoke, his eyes and voice emanated with unyielding warmth.  “Scorp, are you all right?  I know this holiday isn’t the same as our usual ones, but I’m worried that ever since you’ve gotten home, something has been bothering you.  If that’s the case, you know you can talk to me.  About anything.”

Guilt sank icy coldness straight into the pit of his stomach.  Swallowing down the urge to confess everything, he shook his head once more.  “Honestly, Dad,” Scorpius mumbled, twisting fingers into the hem of his sweater.  “I’m fine.  Besides, it’s not every day I get the opportunity to read as much as humanly possible with little interruption.”

Running a hand through his long, platinum hair, Draco frowned in contemplation.  “If you’d prefer, I could reschedule.  We could play a game or two of chess, or even go check out that Muggle bookstore we passed by the other day.  I haven’t read a new Muggle book in quite some time.”

Sitting upright, Scorpius wrapped long arms around his father, squeezing tightly before leaning back with a genuinely warm smile adorning his face.  “I promise, I’ll be fine.  You only have a few days left to finish everything.  I know how important this is, and not just for you, but for loads of other families.”

“If you’re sure,” Draco said, looking slightly skeptical.

Scorpius rolled his eyes good-naturedly.  “Yes, now get a move on.  The sooner you leave, the sooner you can come back.”

Rising to his feet once more, the elder Malfoy quirked his lips.  “Anything you’d like while I’m out?  I’d be happy to swing by and pick up a bar of that chocolate you enjoy.”

“That won’t be necessary.  And besides, you know how Ivy gets when you doddle.”

A bark of laughter echoed around them as Draco made his way back across the room.  “Alright, alright.  I’ll be home as soon as I’m finished.  Don’t sit there for too long, just in case?”

“I won’t,” he promised.

Satisfied, Draco slipped on his cloak, giving one last smile before the image of him distorted in on itself and the loud crack of apparation vibrated the walls.

Lifting the book into his lap, Scorpius swung his legs back up onto the cushioned bench, stretching out his long limbs until his socked toes brushed against the far wall.  Sweeping his eyes across the page, he lost himself once more to the comforting words and his mother’s melodic rhythm.

_Scorpius stopped abruptly before the window display on the Muggle packed sidewalk, a huge grin spreading like wildfire across his mouth as he took in the sight of the perfect gift set up on a black velvet pedestal before him.  Orange-gold rays of sunlight glinted off the green opaque stone just behind the reflective glass, making it burn bright like emeralds, speckled throughout with crushed diamond flecks._

_Draco crowded in close, resting a gloved hand on his son’s shoulder as he appraised the item critically.  “You know that they sell similar items back in Diagon Alley.  I’m sure we could find the same color scheme if that’s what you’re interested in.”_

_Shaking his head slowly, Scorpius sucked the skin of his lower lip between his teeth.  “No, this one is absolutely perfect.  And it’s nice, sometimes, to have normal, mundane things.”  Turning toward the older man, he beamed.  “Can we get it?  Please?”_

_With a quirk of his mouth, Draco gave a nod.  “All right, after you, then.”_

_The bell above the door jingled as the two Malfoys entered the little game shop._

* * *

 

Draco landed in the foyer with a soft pop, shaking the bits of snow from his head and shoulders before unbuttoning his cloak and handing it off to the small elf standing nearby in her mossy green dress.  Golden eyes watched the floor anxiously, and Draco had to resist the urge to once again remind the poor creature that looking at him directly was not grounds for punishment.  Instead, he sighed.

“Sorry I’m late, Ivy.  I hope you set dinner out for Scorpius on time, regardless of my absence.”

Long ears twitched slightly, Ivy’s tiny shoulders reaching up to kiss the lobes, making herself seem even smaller.  “Yes, sir.  The young master was a bit peckish, so Ivy didn’t want to keep him waiting.  Ivy is sorry for not waiting for the master.”

Swiping a hand down his face, he shook his head.  “That’s perfectly all right, Ivy.  I don’t need to be present if Scorpius needs food.  We’ve been over this before.  And you’re an employed servant, not a slave.  Please stop calling me master.”

“Ivy is sorry.  Please forgive Ivy for her wrongdoing.”

Not for the first time in his life, Draco wished Astoria was still around to smooth out all the rough edges that came his way; something she was quite good at, whereas he was abhorrently lacking.  Pinching the bridge of his nose, he decided to change the subject.  “Where is Scorpius now?”

Ivy glanced toward the sitting room.  “The young master was reading by the fire not too long ago.  He hasn’t moved for most of the day.”

“Thank you, Ivy.  You may be dismissed for the evening.”

The soles of his shoes clicked across the marble surface of the floor as he made his way toward the fireplace, expecting to find his son still lost between the pages of a good book.  Scorpius was indeed curled up on the chaise lounge directly in front of the twinkling embers, but his head was tipped against the armrest with his eyes shut, arms laying gently over his chest, the book in question having clattered to the ground a few feet away.

Draco smiled beside himself, grabbing a quilt from the back of the loveseat and throwing it over the boy’s long limbs to ensure there was no way for him to catch a chill.  The fire was magicked to keep burning warm enough for Scorpius to sleep comfortably through the night, but Draco being the worrisome father that he was, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Scorpius had always been a healthy and happy child.  It was a rare day if the boy woke up with a fever, and even rarer if that fever didn’t break after an extra hour or two of quality rest.  Still, knowing what he did about his son’s anticipation for the coming party, it would be a shame if falling sleep on the couch led to an illness that prevented him from attending.  It was, perhaps, the one joy he’d receive the entirety of this vacation trapped inside the Manor.

Pursing his lips, Draco reached out and gently brushed a few messy pieces of hair from his son’s forehead, watching intently as a small crease momentarily marred the place between his brows before returning to a mask of smooth porcelain.  A small sigh escaped his throat, long lashes fluttering against the sharp angles of his cheeks.

In sleep, Scorpius’ achingly familiar features were blissfully softer, the hinted curl of his mouth somehow happier than the obviously forced smiles he had been wearing the past couple of days.  A dull pain twisted inside Draco’s chest, fingers curling in on themselves as he fought the urge to scoop the boy up and cradle him to his chest.

He knew what was bothering his son, could guess the myriad of reasons his child had become listless and forlorn, more so than he had ever been in the past.  Not even the first real vacation back at home after Astoria had passed had seen Scorpius shuffling about the place like he had been doing these few short days since he’d started his break.  No matter the weight of sorrow upon his shoulders, Scorpius never allowed anything to steal the joy from his face.

Which meant there was only one, singular course of action left to take.  If Scorpius wasn’t going to come right out and ask, Draco was going to have to simply take matters into his own hands.  There was a letter to be written, preparations to be made.  If he was lucky, things would go over smoothly with very little friction in the process.

The thought of who he was going to have to deal with in order to achieve his goals crossed his mind, and he found himself grimacing in response.  Things were never simple when it came to _those_ people.  With one final glance at his son’s angelic and peaceful face to spur him on, he turned on his heels and determinedly marched toward his office, the sounds of his shoes clicking across the floor following in his wake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a boring one, I know.  
> That's not even why it took so long. I'm just an unmotivated ass, and I haven't written anything in over two weeks.  
> I don't promise the next one will come out in a timely manner, either.  
> Sorry, guys.  
> <3
> 
> Next is Albus, and I hope the surprise Draco POV made up for a little bit of the slightly more boring aspect of this one?  
> There also might be another surprise in that chapter, but lemme just vague vague vague some more, and tell you not to get your hopes up. :D  
> I'm just pleased I got this finished. Whew.
> 
> Your love and comments spur me on, and I thank everyone for the continued support of my lazy, no good ass.  
> <3 <3 <3 <3


	5. The Dragon and the Lioness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I am a horrible jerk for making everyone wait!  
> Here is my way of appeasing the Hogwarts gods. :3

Ginny Potter sipped her coffee quietly as her eyes swept over the neat and pristine handwriting, noting the little nuances and quirks that made this penmanship so much better looking than anyone’s she’d ever known.  Whenever she herself sat down to write the words were clear and legible, if not a little rushed-looking and angled slightly down the page.  Draco Malfoy really was adamant about proving his superiority in any and all ways.  It pissed her off.

Not to say the content of the letter was anything to be irritated about.  Draco had invited she and Albus to the Manor for tea, explaining quite vaguely that there was something he wished to discuss with her prior to the party the lot of them would be attending in a few days, and that this invitation was for them and the two of them alone.  Which meant a certain bespectacled husband of hers was unfortunately unwelcomed.  Shame.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, Ginny let out a tired sigh.

It was like he calculated the exact time it would take the letter to be delivered to her breakfast table so it was the first thing she saw upon waking up.  The request was for later that afternoon, and as it stood, it was only eight fifteen in the morning.  There was plenty of time to wash up, wake Albus, prepare herself accordingly for the headache of dealing with all of this, and floo over…

_Damn, and I was so looking forward to another quiet day of sitting around in my bathrobe._

Of course, she knew what this was all about.  As a mother, Ginny Potter was many things.  She was stern when necessary, but understanding when the situation needed it.  Tough but fair, with an ear to listen to any problem, no matter how trivial it may seem.  She could sniff out most dangers before they had the opportunity to befall her children, whether they were self-inflicted or from some unseen, outside force.  And, though he was the most difficult of her lot, she even came to understand the differences and meanings in her youngest son’s looks and sighs.

That being said, it was apparent from the moment he’d stepped off the train that there was something different with her Albus.  He was quieter than usual, gloomier than his typical Albus ‘no-one-understands-me’ gloominess, and that wistful sigh and those longing glances out the window that occurred nearly every fifteen minutes like clockwork?  Well, it was proof he was related to Jamie, if nothing else.

A mother’s intuition is rarely wrong, even if the exact specifications of information are sorely lacking.  This time, Ginny had a pretty good idea what it was that was happening here, and it appeared Draco was of the same mindset.  The discussion was needed at some point and the fact that Malfoy instigated it was certainly all the better.

Footsteps padded gently across the kitchen tiles behind her, the unmistakable sound of her husband’s gait comforting and familiar.  Arms wrapped delicately around her shoulders from behind, a soft pressure and warm breath tickling the skin of her scalp as Harry planted a chaste kiss on the crown of her head.

“Anything interesting,” he asked, mumbling the words into her hair as he peered down at the crisp page from above.

Humming a happy sigh, Ginny leaned back slightly into his chest, stroking her finger over Harry’s arm.  “Just a request for a tea date from Draco.  I assume Scorpius is just as bored as our Albus is, what with Draco being so busy all of the time.”

Harry made a displeased noise in the back of his throat, low and feral.  “Tea?  Are they going to be coming over, then?”

With a chuckle, she reached up blindly and patted him reassuringly on the cheek, careful not to hit his glasses.  “Don’t get your knickers in a twist.  Albus and I have been summoned to the Manor.  Alone.”

Rough, whiskered skin nuzzled into the delicate flesh of her palm, making it burn and itch slightly.  “Good.  Well, I hope you have a fabulous time, then.  Coffee?”  Planting another quick peck on the top of her head, Harry shuffled over to the pot and emptied the old grounds into the bin.

“Mm, yes, please.  I can’t make it near as good as you do, even with magic.”  Curling her fingers underneath her chin, she smirked as her eyes openly swept over the lovely view that was her husband’s backside.

As if on cue, Harry turned then and quirked a brow, green eyes twinkling as he caught her mid-appraisal.  “Like what you see?”

“Always,” she purred, grinning cheekily.  After a beat of comfortable silence, watching intently as her husband finished up pouring the new grounds into the filter, she sighed.  “Aren’t you going to offer even the slightest bit of sympathy my way?”

The sound Harry made could only be described as a chortle.  “You don’t have to go, Gin.  You are capable of making your own decisions.”

Swiping a hand roughly down her face, she sighed once more.  “You know that’s impossible.  If Albus found out I avoided it for selfish reasons, he’d never forgive me.  I’m the favorite parent.  I’d like to keep that title.”

“Do you really think Albus would-“ She shot him an incredulous look and he faltered.  Smiling wryly, he nodded.  “You’re right, he’d probably never speak to you again.”

“Exactly,” Ginny huffed, narrowing her eyes at the offensive piece of parchment.  “So, I’ll do it.  For Albus’ sake.  Not that I’m pleased, but I suppose it is necessary to get this over with.”

Harry tilted his head in confusion.  “Get what over with,” he asked, brow furrowing slightly.

Smiling sheepishly, she waved a flippant hand his way.  “Nothing to concern yourself over, darling.  Just be glad that you’re exempt.  This time.  You won’t be so fortunate in the future.”

Harry’s face twisted up in displeasure as he raised his hands in a placating gesture.  “Right, I don’t think I want to know.  Just, give me the lowdown whenever the dust has settled, yeah?”  The coffee pot rumbled somewhere behind him, catching his attention momentarily.  “Coffee will be done soon.  You should wake Albus now, you know how he is in the mornings.”

With a bit of reluctance, Ginny agreed, rising to her feet and shuffling her way down the hall.  From the bottom of the stairs she could already hear the faint sounds of life coming from her other children’s rooms; Lily no doubt making herself presentable for the day regardless of her lack of plans and Jamie getting dressed for work.  Albus was never an early riser unless the situation called for it.  On a particularly lazy day, it wasn’t uncommon for the boy to sleep until noon.

Taking the stairs two at a time, she stopped just outside the wooden door, ears perking as they assessed the situation that lay beyond.  It was quiet, the light puffs of sleeping breath barely audible over the background noise that floated up from all sides.  Placing a hand on the knob, she took one final calming breath before pushing the door open with a soft creak.

* * *

 

Albus could barely contain his excitement as the two of them stood before the fireplace, floo powder clutched tightly in his hand.  He hadn’t been expecting to see his boyfriend for a few days yet, and so the second his mother’s words finally registered in his brain, he was out of bed and half-dressed before he knew what had overcome him. 

Ginny had laughed, of course, and explained the details in a way his caffeine deprived mind could comprehend.  Still, the promise of seeing Scorpius in just a few, short hours was enough to put a spring in his step and a smile on his face.

“All right, and you remember how it’s done?”

“Yes mum,” Albus sighed, feeling the anticipation buzzing just beneath his skin.  There would be time later for the overconcerned mother routine after he had the chance to tackle his boyfriend and snog him senseless.  In the privacy of Scorpius’ room, of course.  “I’ve only been flooing since the age of six.”

“But there was that one time you freaked out and ended up across town and your father had to-“

“That was James, mum.”

Ginny’s dark eyes narrowed for a moment before a look of recognition crossed her face.  “Oh,” she said, running a hand through her short, ginger locks.  “Right.  I always mix the two of you up.”

“May I go now,” Albus asked, edging toward the fireplace without waiting for a response.  “It’s almost one.  You know the Malfoys are always punctual.”

“Yes, yes.  I’ll be right behind you.”

Tossing the powder into the flames, they glowed a magnificent green, tendrils shooting high up and licking the edge of his shoes.  “Malfoy Manor,” he called out, stepping inside and shutting his eyes against the sudden sensation of being sucked through a narrow tube.

When he opened them again, it was to the prim and meticulous parlor room he only managed a glimpse of before he was on his back, the air knocked out of his lungs.  “Scorp,” he wheezed, guessing at the perpetrator still clinging to his person like a baby gorilla.  “Can’t breathe.”

Sparkling silver eyes gazed down at him from inches away, dripping with warm affection.  “Sorry, Albus,” he breathed after a beat of silence, full lips curving upward into a soft little smile.  “I was a little overexcited.”

“A little,” a familiar voice drawled somewhere in the distance, the amusement in his tone not enough to prevent the sudden chill that rippled down Albus’ spine.  “If you got any closer to the flames you would have been burned by them.”

Scorpius turned a lovely shade of pink at his father’s words, scrambling off the other boy and holding a hand out to help him back up.  Just as Albus found himself standing once more, the sound of roaring flames preceded his mother’s arrival only seconds before she knocked into the two of them so hard they stumbled forward and nearly tumbled over the back of a chaise lounge.

“And that would be the other reason I warned you against maintaining such a close proximity,” Draco said with a chuckle.

Ginny dusted off her blouse as she stepped out of the fireplace, dark eyes fixating on the silver man leaning against the doorframe in the far end of the room.  “Malfoy,” she said by way of greeting, inclining her head in his direction.

“Potter,” he replied in a politely clipped tone, folding hands behind his back as he came to stand to his full and imposing height.  “Thank you for meeting with me today and bringing Albus along to allow Scorpius a few hours with his friend.”

“The pleasure is all ours,” Ginny purred with a dangerously sinister smile, the same one she used on reporters or other folk she felt may threaten a member of her family. 

Both parties stood their ground, silent and proud, waiting to see who would break first.  It was like watching a lioness stare down a tiger, the two equally powerful and impossibly deadly.

Albus cleared his throat, lifting the tension in the room instantaneously.

As if remembering his place, Draco finally turned and smiled warmly at his son.  “Scorpius, why don’t you show Albus your room.  I’ll have Ivy fetch tea shortly.” 

“Right.”  Scorpius grabbed Albus by the arm and began leading him out of the room toward the grand staircase.  “This way, Al.”

When the two were out of sight, the warmth on his forearm slipped downward until fingers entwined with his own.  Scorpius’ hand was just as cool and smooth as he’d remembered it, a sigh of happiness tumbling from his lips.  “I missed you,” Albus crooned, giving a gentle squeeze to further prove his point.

Scorpius squeezed back, thumb absentmindedly rubbing gentle trails as they took the stairs two at a time.  “I missed you more.  It’s been lonely in the Manor with dad out most days.”

“Be glad for the quiet.  Lily and James are just as obnoxious as ever.  I thought my brother moving out would mean he’d actually remain at his own flat some of the time, but as it’s stood, he’s been lazing about nonstop since he arrived-“

Before he knew what was happening, Scorpius had pulled him into a room and shoved him against the wall forcefully, the press of his mouth catching whatever cry of surprise Albus was involuntarily about to utter.  The scent of lavender and chocolate trickled into his airways as his eyes slipped shut of their own accord, hands sliding up the hard surface of his boyfriend’s stomach and chest to tangle themselves in velvety soft locks.

Pulling back a fraction of an inch, silver eyes bore into his own, pupils blown so wide they almost devoured the whole of Scorpius’ irises.  “Sorry,” he panted, breath warm and sweet as it fanned across Albus’ cheeks.  “I’ve been waiting to do that for days.  You were saying?”

“It’s really not important,” Albus murmured before yanking the other’s face back down and pressing their lips together once more with an urgency akin to running out of oxygen.

The loud pop of apparition sprang them apart moments later, a small house elf in a mossy green dress clutching a large silver tray of snacks and averting her eyes at the sight of their flushed and disheveled appearance.

“Ivy is sorry, young master.  Your tea is ready.”

Running a hand through his messy hair, Scorpius cracked a sheepish smile.  “That’s alright, Ivy.  Thank you.  You may set it down on the desk there.”

The elf did as was requested of her, fingers twisting themselves into the fabric of her dress as she curled in on herself, seemingly trying to take up as little space as humanly possible.  “Is there anything else the young master needs from Ivy?”

“No no, that will be all.  Thank you,” Scorpius responded in a cheery tone of voice. 

That didn’t stop the elf from flinching like she was being reprimanded, shoulders raised so high they practically touched her earlobes as she nodded once then apparated away.

Albus turned to his boyfriend with a quizzical look.  “Is she always like that?”

“Ever since we saved her from her previous master,” Scorpius sighed, staring at the spot the elf had vacated with a sad look in his eyes.  “Whenever a report of elvish abuse is found to be accurate, the Ministry comes in and removes the elf from the wizard abusing them.  They’re then given the choice to work somewhere else.  Usually Hogwarts or the Ministry, but sometimes they come to new households.  Father found Ivy on one of his trips through Knockturn and brought her here.  Marigold helps teach her, and she’s a lot better than she was, but old habits die hard, as they say.”

Walking up behind him, Albus wrapped his arms around Scorpius’ waist, burying his face into the taller boy’s shoulder.  “You’re cute when you talk about stuff you’re knowledgeable in,” he mumbled the words against the soft cotton fabric, earning a chuckle in response.

“So, all of the time,” Scorpius teased, snuggling back into Albus and lacing their fingers once more.

“Pretty much,” he admitted truthfully, humming in amusement.  The warmth from the other seeped down into his bones, causing his heart to flutter with happiness and his eyes to slip shut.  If they never moved again, it would be too soon.

“Oh, that reminds me,” Scorpius gasped, pulling away and making a beeline for the bed.  It was the first time Albus really noticed they were standing inside of his room, and he had but a moment to survey the space before Scorpius had returned, clutching a neatly wrapped silver package to his chest.  “I said I wanted to exchange gifts in person, and since you’re here now, I figured…” trailing off, he handed the package over with a soft smile.

Albus blinked at the reflective surface as he flipped it over, wondering at the contents of such a large object.  “It’s heavy,” he observed, reluctant to ruin the pristine wrapping job that put his own messily wrapped gift to shame.

“Well, open it already,” Scorpius urged with a laugh, looking positively jubilant and ready to burst.

Worrying a lip between his teeth, Albus timidly broke the seal on both ends, slipping the contents free of its paper restraint in one swift motion.  “Is it a chess board,” he asked curiously, running a finger along the polished mahogany surface and down to a little bronze hook latch.  “I’ve never seen one that also-“ flipping the lid his breath caught in his throat, the emerald and silver pieces beautifully carved with intricate details, each one unique with its own markings and mistakes.

“Do you like it,” Scorpius asked quietly, drawing his attention away from the curve of the little silver knight’s muzzle and up into identically colored eyes.

A slow smile spread like wildfire across his face, warmth beginning to pool in his gut.  “Are you kidding?  I love it, Scorp.  It’s absolutely beautiful, and by far the nicest chess set I’ve ever personally seen.  Where ever did you find it?”

The compliment only furthered the look of pride on his boyfriend’s face.  “Actually, in a muggle shop.  I was trying to find something suitable and Diagon Alley just wasn’t cutting it, so father agreed to let me check elsewhere.”

“You got Draco Malfoy to walk the streets of muggle London?  I’d have paid to see that.”  Dodging the swat that was aimed at his arm, Albus chuckled as he closed the box’s lid and set the gift gingerly down on a nearby desk.  “In all seriousness, though, I really do love it.  Now I wish I tried a little harder to come up with a better one for you because, in comparison, it’s shite.”

Scorpius hummed in amusement.  “I’m pretty sure I’ve never thought a single gift you’ve given me has ever been shite, Albus.”

“Even that year I got you stationery?”  The sound of twinkling laughter rang out across the large room, causing Albus’ stomach to do a flip. 

“I quite liked that stationery,” Scorpius admitted with a fond smile, brushing a bit of fringe out of his face.  Little pieces still stuck up here and there from their previous snogging session, giving him a sort of sexy just woke up kind of vibe.  “You know I was terribly disappointed when I finally ran out.”

“Only you would be excited about paper,” Albus teased, voice dripping with warm affection.  Glancing around, he caught sight of the little red package sitting on the night table and had to stifle a groan as he went to retrieve it.  “Don’t tell me you looked at it every day, wondering what was inside.”

Drawing a hand to his chest, Scorpius gasped in mock offense.  “I’ll have you know my boyfriend sent me that package.”

“Right, and I bet he’s a sodding git.  Probably placed an IOU in the box because he’s too poor to afford anything nice.”

Taking the gift out of Albus’ grasp, he clucked his tongue in disapproval.  “Really, Albus.  You know it’s not about the money, but the thought behind it that matters most.” 

With meticulous precision, Scorpius unraveled the piece of red paper, setting it carefully down before opening the white cardboard box.  Tracing a finger over the silver SM on the icy blue fabric, a smile curled his lips as he pulled the scarf out and examined it fully.

Albus shuffled his feet nervously, running a hand through his unruly locks.  “Over the summer my Gran decided to teach me and Lily how to knit, so…”

“You made it,” Scorpius asked, voice so low and throaty it was practically sinful.

“Er, yes?  I know it’s not the best attempt, but it was the best-looking one.  And I probably had to redo the letters at least a dozen times so I’m sorry if they’re a little wonky-“  The remainder of his nervous rambling was cut off by the warm press of lips against his own. 

“Oh, Albus,” Scorpius crooned, pulling back and planting dozens of little kisses over every last inch of skin on his face.

“You really don’t mind?”

“Mind,” Scorpius asked, eyes crinkling in the corners as a dazzling smile pulled at his mouth.  Placing another chaste kiss on Albus’ lips, he sighed contentedly.  “I’m pretty sure I love it the most of any gift I’ve ever received.”

“I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration,” Albus stated flatly, adjusting the fabric so it draped around his boyfriend’s neck, leaving his hands free to wrap around his waist.  The silver and blue offset Scorpius’ eyes beautifully, making them glow brightly with flecks of stormy grey.  “You got to go to France the last three Christmases, and your father buys you practically everything you’ve ever wanted under the sun, making it rather difficult to shop for you.”

“I’ll take this over France any day,” he replied with a very serious expression, causing Albus to snort.

“I’ll believe you, but only because you’re crazy enough to love getting a gift of paper.”

“And a lovely set of quills, you can’t forget those.  I’m pretty sure I still have one somewhere,” Scorpius quipped.

Burrowing his face into the center of his boyfriend’s chest, Albus closed his eyes and relished the sensation of shared warmth, the comforting sound of Scorpius’ heartbeat, and the gentle scent of parchment and lavender he’d come to adore more than anything else in the world.  “I wish we were back at Hogwarts.  I miss waking up to you being there.”

Scorpius hummed softly in agreement, wrapping his arms tightly around Albus and pulling him so close that not even light could slip its way between their persons.  The two remained like that for some time, sharing body heat and enjoying the feeling of one another before they’d be forced to part ways again, however fleeting the duration may be.

“You’re thinking of that chess set, aren’t you,” Scorpius finally broke the silence, pulling back and cocking a brow.

Smiling beside himself, Albus crinkled his nose in amusement.  “Sorry.  It’s just that it’s so beautiful and it would be a waste not to use it when it’s right there and we’re right here, completely available.”

“Alright, one game.”

Planting a chaste kiss on Scorpius’ cheek, he raced over to the small sitting table in the far corner of the spacious room, clearing it of books and parchment before gingerly pulling out each beautiful stone piece and setting them down on their appropriate squares.

As sunlight filtered through the lace curtains over the large window, painting the scene in flecks and patterns of rippling white, Scorpius stood back in quiet observation, a look of hopeless adoration playing out on his face.

* * *

 

Draco led her to a quiet room nestled somewhere in the far end of the Manor, an orange-lit office with towering bookshelves stuffed to bursting with important looking leather-bound books and a desk so littered in paperwork it was hard to even see the polished redwood beneath.  Even the large bay window did little to help brighten the dingy space, caked as it was in grime and dust; and for a moment, she wondered if she hadn’t accidentally been portkeyed to the Burrow, it was that out of place with the rest of the meticulous and pristinely kept home.

“Have a seat, I’ll send for tea and anything else, if you’d like-“

Spinning on her heels, she leveled her host with a stare so icy cold it took him aback for a moment, mouth slamming shut as his brow furrowed in confusion.  Straightening her back tall and proud, she lifted her chin high into the air and regarded the man before her like an unsavory leech.

“You will not keep those boys from one another if you know what’s good for you,” she stated matter-of-factly, watching for the other’s reaction with nerves of impenetrable steel.

“Me,” Draco asked incredulously, shutting the door and crossing the room in three large strides.  Even from their height difference of a good few inches, Ginny still stood her ground with a fiery look burning in her dark eyes.  “If I recall correctly it was _your_ husband who wished to split them up some years ago, and all because a _stargazer_ told him there was a dark cloud regarding his son’s future.  Honestly, as if my son would ever be-“

“Exactly, you Malfoys think you are Merlin’s gift to wizardkind.  I have no doubt you’ll deem a lowly Potter beneath your precious child and-“

“I would never do anything to keep the smile from my son’s face.  How dare you, the lot who sought to break up a friendship over something so silly as-“

“I hate to break it to you, but this is a little more than _friendship_ , Malfoy.  I’d say it’s a little bit more _permanent_ and-“

Draco threw his hands up.  “So, you see my point.  What will your husband, your entire family, think when it isn’t just some fleeting situation that will be outgrown with time?”

Ginny narrowed her eyes in contempt.  “And what will yours,” she spat, not bothering to keep the venom from dripping off her tongue.  The hard look on Draco’s face faltered, replaced with something lonely and sad.  “You know what they’ll say.  Are you prepared for the backlash that’ll happen when word gets out and our children’s names are consistently dragged through the mud?”

Smoothing back a loose piece of hair that had come undone during their heated discussion, Draco composed his features to that of icy stoicism.  “I am quite aware of the repercussions, and it’s nothing we haven’t overcome before.  Or have you forgotten that until recently mine and my son’s names were already the subjects of wild rumors and absurd accusations, no matter how hard we fought to dissuade them?”

Ginny’s passion wavered for a moment, swallowing thickly as she recalled all of the hurt and confusion cast secondhandedly over her own child, and the precious smile of a boy who still burned brightly despite the whispers attempting to break him down.  “This will be different from that because it’ll be the truth.  Inescapable, irreversibly so.”

“And what of you,” he asked, voice low and horse like the words themselves had scraped their way out of his throat.  “Are you prepared to face the same kind of scrutiny?  The tarnishing of your perfect name as the saviors of wizardkind?”

A quiet knock drew them both from their grief, the door opening slowly to reveal a small elf dressed in a sunny yellow top.  Her amber eyes regarded the two of them calmly for a moment before she cleared her throat and curtsied low.  “Excuse me for the interruption, Mr. Malfoy, but your tea is ready whenever you’d like it.”

“Thank you, Marigold,” Draco replied in a decidedly milder tone.  The gentle smile that curled his mouth was galaxies away from the hot-tempered man who was just standing his ground only seconds before.  “You may bring it now.”

“Right away, sir.”  With a pop of apparition, she was gone, returning shortly with a tray cluttered with various fine china dishes.  The white and blue teapot steamed as she set the tray down on a small table, the scent of jasmine curling through the room with a soothing effect.  “I shall take my leave now.  Supper will be ready at six o clock.”

“Alright.  Thank you, Marigold.”  The elf left through the door, closing it behind herself with a soft click.  Draco approached the table and began to fill both cups with golden liquid, the crisp floral scent suddenly stronger than before.  “Milk or sugar?  There’s also honey if you’d like.”

“Sugar is fine, thanks,” Ginny said as she took an empty chair by the unlit fireplace, the highbacked leather seat far more comfortable than its stiff appearance first implied.

“I hope jasmine is all right with you, I take a cup every day around this time as it has calming effects and my work can prove quite stressful.”  Handing over the little saucer, Draco took the opposing seat, lifting his cup to his lips and taking a slow sip as his silvery eyes stared off into the distance with a cloudy look.

Ginny stirred the cup gently before trying the tea, a strong and bitter tang blended throughout with the flowery sweetness of the petals as they coated over her tongue.  It was the perfect balance of strong and mellow, warming her insides quite nicely.  “It’s very good, thank you.”

Draco made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat, a blanket of silence falling over the two of them as they sipped from their cups and enjoyed the break from whirlwind emotions and opposing beliefs.  The only sound that occasionally floated up was the soft clink of cups kissing the saucer and the tick of the clock on the wall as it counted every second that passed.

“How is your work going,” Ginny asked after her cup was nearly empty, the liquid inside long since cooled.

Draco’s eyes drifted over from their place observing the mantle, and for an instant, she saw the depth of exhaustion and quiet fear bubbling just below the surface.  As quickly as it was there, it was gone, replaced with a brittle smile and guarded gaze.  “Fine.  A few hiccoughs here and there, but not everything worthwhile comes easily.”

“Indeed, most things do not.”  Setting her cup down on the table, she sat forward, resting her elbows on her knees and her chin atop curled fists.  “Speaking of which, about our sons.”

“I have no intentions of keeping them apart.  So long as Scorpius is happy, he is free to love whomever he pleases.  I refuse to be a father like my own who imposes his desires on his only child just to save face with people who do not matter.”

“Agreed,” Ginny replied in a pleased tone, straightening as she rested back comfortably in the chair.  The hints of a smile curled her lips, eyebrow quirking up inquisitively.  “And what of the little matter of them keeping it a secret for the time being?  Are you going to pretend you don’t realize what two healthy young boys might be doing together without proper supervision?”

“Hardly,” Draco snorted, pulling his wand from his shirt pocket and magicking the two cups back to the tray.  “But even at school with students of opposing genders, there are still places to go to fool around in.  I can think of a few off the top of my head that are no doubt still in use to this day.”

Ginny erupted into a fit of giddy laughter, covering her face with both hands.  “Oh, I did not need that visual in my head, thank you very much.  I like to think our boys will be respectful of their dormmates wishes and refrain from those sorts of things until they are in private.”

“They’re boys,” Draco deadpanned.

Shaking her head to clear it of unwanted things, she hummed in amusement.  “Are we just going to wait for them to come out and tell us when they’re prepared?  It could be a while, I’m sure they realize the implications of something like this.  Merlin knows I didn’t tell my mum when I was snogging a boy, and no one ever cared enough to write about it in the Prophet.”

Pursing his lips, Draco mulled it over for a moment before smiling ruefully.  “I suppose we don’t have much of a choice, do we?  It’s their business and they should be able to come forward when ready.  The best we can do is be patient and supportive until that time arrives.”

“Well, then, Draco, I believe our business here is finished,” Ginny replied, rising to her feet.  Draco followed suit and she offered out her hand for a firm shake.  “I’ll be running along if you don’t mind.  Send Albus whenever you grow tired of him.  Those boys deserve a little happiness before the hardships they’ll no doubt face.”

“A Potter and a Malfoy, I never thought I’d see the day,” Draco chuckled, escorting Ginny back toward the parlor so she could floo home.  “My father would have a heart attack if he heard the news.”

Grinning wickedly, she clapped the silver man on the shoulder.  “Do invite us over for tea before you tell him, I would love to be present for such a joyous occasion.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope it was worthwhile!  
> The fic is slowly coming to a close, 2-3 more chapters give or take my wordiness. ;)  
> I do have plans in store for _other_ Scorbus things, as well as the third installment of this same story (taking place in seventh year), and a one-shot or mini for my beautiful American baby, Kyle. Because I love him forever?  
>  Never fret, I am too far down the rabbit hole to ever leave the fanfic writing world, and short of untimely death (oh god, I'm 27 and far too young to die) I don't foresee that changing anytime soon. ^^
> 
> Thank you to all who have stayed with me, and all who will continue to as I abuse you with long waits that are 100% me being a lazy asshole and preferring to do other things with my time. :D  
> Feel free to pester eternally, I am never annoyed and in fact, I enjoy reminders that help whip my ass into shape. ^^
> 
> Tumblr me up : Cherrypie62666


	6. The Party pt 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is so so so much shorter than it was originally supposed to be. See end for a further explanation.

Scorpius bounced on the balls of his feet, brimming with excitement as he stood in the foyer awaiting his boyfriend’s arrival.  It was the night of the party, the Manor cleaned from top to bottom by the family’s two elves; and decorated for the occasion in lights and ornaments in stunning hues of silvers, blues, and dazzling whites. 

The heavenly aroma of cooking roast floated through the air, mixed nicely with the scent of baked pies and other wonderful treats.  On any regular day, that would be enough to entice him down from his room with a smile on his face.  Tonight, he was far more jubilant to see Albus walk through his front door than any pile of desserts could ever make him.

“They’re not set to arrive for another fifteen at least,” Draco said in his usual drawled speech, descending the grand staircase with a flutter of billowing black robes.  A soft smile quirked the edge of his lips, silvery eyes watching his son with a hint of amusement.

Scorpius curled his fingers into his own icy dress robes, rubbing the soft fabric between the pads of his pointer and thumb.  “I know, but I can’t just sit and wait quietly in the parlor.  You know I’ve never been good with patience before.”

Draco laughed outright, a warm sound that made his heart swell in response.  “True.  But you’ll be on your feet most of the night, I should expect.  At least take a seat on the stairs so you can rest until then.”

Crinkling his nose in delight, Scorpius shuffled in place.  “Can’t.  I’m too tightly wound for any sitting, no matter the location.”

Heaving a sigh, Draco checked his reflection in the large mirror in the hall, straightening out his ostentatiously deep green tie.  “Alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you when you fall asleep standing because you’re too worn out later on.  You remember the time I found you curled up on the sofa halfway through-“

“I was six,” Scorpius cried with a laugh, shaking his head at his father’s not so subtle attempt to sway him.  “I’m much older and quite capable of withstanding a little exertion now and again.  I do go to Hogwarts, lots of stairs to climb and long days trailing Albus around to keep him out of mischief.”

“Yes well-“

Whatever his father was going to say next was cut off by the sound of a sharp knock at the front door, Scorpius squealing with happiness when Marigold appeared with a pop to answer it.  As he’d anticipated, the Potters had arrived thankfully early, the clock on the wall reading a quarter til despite the fact they’d agreed to meet promptly at nine.

Draco quirked a brow at the sheepish looking couple, slipping past his son as he came to greet them.  “Potters.  You’re a tad earlier than I’d expected.  I’ve no doubt the cause was out of your control?”

Ginny Potter smiled brightly in response, grabbing a pouty looking Albus by the arm and pulling him into view.  “Indeed.  It was either come now or never hear the end of it from this one.”  Glancing at Scorpius’ cheery expression, her face softened exponentially.  “I’m betting yours was no less eager?”

“Quite,” Draco said, sparing him a sly sidelong flick of the eyes and grinning wickedly.  “I caught him bouncing up and down with anticipation not even five minutes ago.”

“Dad,” Scorpius whined at the same time Albus huffed out an indignant “Mum, please.”

Harry raked a hand through his unruly black hair, so much like Albus’ it was a little comical to behold.  “Er, hello, Draco,” he said stiffly, looking less at ease than a Hippogriff in a china shop.

“Harry,” Draco replied curtly, gesturing inside the warm house with a wave of his hand.  “Please, come in.  It’s cold out front as we’ve only placed heating charms in the rear gardens for the fireworks display later this evening.”

“Thank you,” the elder Potters said in unison, shuffling in and allowing the elf to close the door behind them.

Albus caught his eyes from their short distance away from one another, a strange spark burning in the emerald pools as he gave Scorpius a slow once over that caused a blush to rise to his cheeks.

“Albus, why don’t you and Scorpius go have a sit in the parlor,” Draco said kindly, noticing the look of barely contained frustration on both of their faces.  “I’ll show your parents around the Manor until the other guests arrive.  Feel free to help yourselves to anything already laid out on the tables if you’re feeling peckish.”

“Thank you, Mr. Malfoy,” Albus murmured, shooting his boyfriend another sultry look.  “I am indeed feeling a little hungry.”

Scorpius almost hid his face in embarrassment, thankful no one else seemed to catch the note of subtle implication in the boy’s tone.  Perhaps only the fact he knew the other so well he could see through each and every nuance was what made it so apparent to him.  In the end, he chalked it up to the adults simply paying the both of them no heed as the two disappeared from the room together.

Once out of earshot, he turned to his boyfriend with a quirked brow.  “Very subtle, Potter.”

Albus grinned at him cheekily, a small dimple appearing to the left of his mouth.  It took all his self-control not to grab the boy and press his own against those dangerously curved lips.  “I like to think so,” he quipped.

Scorpius snorted derisively.  “You’ll give us away with your attempts at wordplay one of these days, you know.”

A hand shot out and grasped his arm, spinning him half around and shoving him into the side of a bookcase with a quiet squeak.  Heavily lidded green eyes regarded him coolly for a moment, Albus humming softly in amusement before dropping his voice low and smooth.  “In hindsight, I don’t see how I contained myself so well the night of the ball, with you looking so damn proper in these robes.”

“Probably the fear of scaring me off and out of your life forever,” Scorpius replied in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

Albus pressed in closer with a salacious smile, body heat both pleasant and intoxicating as it washed over him in a thick wave.  “But that’s not an issue now.”

“Not a chance.”

Pressed back into the hard pine, warm lips met his in an explosion of sensation that sent a delicious shiver straight down his spine.  Fisting hands into the front of his boyfriend’s robes, he pulled him closer until even their thighs touched gently together.  Teeth nipped his mouth hungrily, begging him to deepen their kiss.  He obliged readily and nearly moaned at the sudden sensation of taste and touch that was so assuredly Albus it made his head spin.

Fingers ran themselves up and down his sides, leaving a trail of gooseflesh wherever they ventured.  If it wasn’t for the fact his were being slightly crushed between their chests, he might consider returning the action, if only to elicit that heady pant from the other that made his insides churn with boundless desire.

Breaking apart with a frustrated growl, Albus buried his face into the fabric of Scorpius’ shirt.  “Merlin, Scorp.  Please remind me again why it’s a bad idea to slip out in the middle of the party and drag you off somewhere to snog you entirely senseless?”

Scorpius chuckled beside himself, sliding his hands up into soft raven hair.  “Because someone will undoubtedly come looking for us and we’re sure to have a lot of explaining to do when they find us in such questionable positions as one of us on the other with our tongues down each other’s throats?”

“Right, and why is that so bad?”

Nuzzling his face into the top of Albus’ head, he breathed a contented sigh.  “Because we don’t want to deal with something like that when we could be enjoying the night happily together instead of the potential alternative of miserably separated.”

Tilting his head up, Albus placed a chaste kiss on his still tingling lips.  “You’re quite right, and there will be plenty of chances to snog you senseless for months in just a few short days.  I’ve waited this long, what’s a few more in the course of our entire lives?”

Scorpius smirked wickedly.  “See yourself with me long, then?”

A gentle blush painted the other’s cheeks, Albus scowling in response.  “Not if you’re going to be cheeky like that.  I’ll find myself another bloke that can leave all the teasing to me.”

Bending down, he kissed the tip of a still pink nose and hummed in amusement.  “You love it,” he murmured; moving on to cheeks, eyes, forehead, and back down to leave a slow press against a twitching mouth.

“Questionable,” Albus replied when he finally pulled away, lids heavy once more and eyes sparkling with something akin to lust. 

It made his heart flutter wildly, seeing his boyfriend like that.  The urge to do more until the boy was heaving hard with yearning gnawed at his brain but he pushed it back and smiled softly instead.  There would indeed be time later when someone wasn’t able to walk in on them and ruin their moment prematurely.  Even if it was so, so difficult a task to accomplish.

“I love you, Albus,” Scorpius admitted a bit absentmindedly.  Realizing what he’d just said, he flushed heavily.  The reminder that he’d already thought it enough over the past nine days that it must be a sign it was time floated through his head.  Might as well just bite the bullet, so to speak.  “I know it’s a little sudden, and probably too soon and all that, but-“

Albus cut him off with a soft look.  “I love you, too, and you’re bloody mad if you think otherwise.”

“Since when,” he asked curiously, tilting his head to the side.

Albus chuckled, quirking a brow incredulously.  “Did I not mention the whole end of fifth-year realization thing?  I’ve had a lot of time to think it over.”

“Oh.”

Rolling his eyes, he traced a gentle hand across Scorpius’ cheek, fingers brushing softly against his cheekbone before they cupped the side of his face tenderly.  “Yes, you prat, I didn’t think it was necessary to say anything when it was glaringly obvious from the start.  Knowing it was enough for me.”

Scorpius worried a lip between his teeth.  “Words are nice, too, sometimes.”

Albus smiled.  “Indeed.  I love you, Scorpius Malfoy.  From the top of your head to the bottom of your feet, and all the areas in between.”

“Well, now you’re just being mushy,” he chided, unable to stop the happiness bubbling up inside of him.

Voices sounded close by, the two boys stepping apart and plopping down onto the small couch to look as if they were always completely innocent and awaiting their parents patiently.  Draco led the Potters into the room, smiling at the two of them as they fell into a conversation about sweets that was so natural it was almost a shame they hadn’t ever rehearsed something similar beforehand. 

“The guests should be arriving any minute now.  I trust you weren’t too bored waiting.”

Scorpius turned to his father and smiled back, ignoring the sparkling gleam in his boyfriend’s eyes.  “We entertained ourselves just fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize profusely for the delay and the smallest update in the history of long-awaited updates.  
> The reason being - I suck, but also that I've had 2800 of this (and this is around 1900) typed and sitting in a word doc since, oh, very early November?  
> I cannot keep putting off an update in good conscience, and I'm also probably nowhere near finished on the next part (not only because I haven't touched it in over a month but also because... I don't intend to and probably can't with these half inch off my finger claws I decided to have done just before Christmas?) so I grabbed the part that is acceptable and complete and here you go.  
> Probably should have done this forever ago but I'm an ass and hate short updates (as a writer and a reader) so I normally strive for three to six thousand word updates but.............. ugh. I just feel bad at this point. 
> 
> So, here's to the very first post of the New Year!  
> To much more to come - especially in this same vein seeing as how I have a whole nother fic planned after this cute little blurb.  
> To trying harder to do better this year and continuing to pump out fun things for all you lovelies to enjoy.
> 
> I make no promises, but the resolve is indeed there. ^^
> 
> Hit me up on Tumblr, not that I use it as often as I should - Cherrypie62666
> 
> P.s. Expect part 2 to be dual POV as I will probably combine the remainder of this chapter with the whole of Albus' to make a mega chapter. :D


	7. The Party pt 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I lied about this being a long chapter. 2300 words does not a long chapter make. Yell at me in the comments.

“I know you said there would be a lot of people here, but this is absurd,” Albus whispered to him grumpily, green eyes scanning the room as a frown creased his brow. 

It was almost unnecessary to do considering the loud hum of voices ringing out over the soft instrumental music playing quietly in the background, but Scorpius understood the reluctance for being overheard with gossiping strangers so near to the two of them.  They were leaning back against the wall in the grand drawing room, small dishes of various bite-sized foods in their hands, watching the group of older individuals carry on merrily as drink painted their cheeks rosy and eyes slightly glazed.

Turning to his boyfriend, he cracked a smile.  “Father is nothing if not over the top as often as humanly possible.”

Albus munched on a piece of biscuit angrily.  “And we really can’t sneak off with this many people not even sparing the two of us second glances,” he asked, glaring at a particularly noisy group laughing loudly over something one of them had said.

Setting his plate down on a nearby chair, Scorpius leaned closer to the other’s ear, breathing his words against it.  “We can try.”

That perked Albus right up, the boy dumping his remaining food in a bin and grabbing him by the wrist to lead him someplace with a little more seclusion.

Even the halls of the Manor were jampacked with people mulling around to chat, flutes of champagne clutched elegantly between their fingers.  Their sonorous voices reverberated through cramped space, so loud that it was nearly deafening.  The noxious scent of perfume, pipe tobacco, fishy h’orderves, and the heady aroma of acrid liquor wafting off the glasses swirled through the air as they went, burning the back of his throat and making his head throb.

The mere idea of the alcohol brought back memories he’d rather sooner forget as he reluctantly recalled his own drunken adventure some weeks past.  It was Halloween night; something that should have meant celebrating with his house.  Albus had come back from the feast later that evening and found him alone in their dorm, already wankered and lounging about the bed, drowning in self-depreciation like a git.

He’d made a complete arse of himself and then vomited up whatever meager helpings he’d forced himself to ingest, along with three sickly sweet butterbeers and too much of a bottle of firewhiskey.  Come morning, his head was splitting, and he’d vowed to be more careful in the future when it came to drink.

Albus steered him blindly through the throngs of bodies, pulling him out toward one of the many exits that led to the gardens at the house’s rear.  It would make sense, he supposed, that less people would be inhabiting the area for the time being, seeing as how the food and drink were inside the Manor and the only thing outside was well-manicured hedges and a few twinkle lights to set the ambiance.  Growing up running amuck in that labyrinthian styled maze of bushes, Scorpius could already think of a handful of places the two of them could find a little privacy without interruption.

They made to turn toward one of the small staircases leading up into the second and third floors of the Manor, but Scorpius’ brain was already set on a new place to head.  And anyway, who knows how many drunken couples were already occupying the stuffy broom closets, snogging each other’s faces off.  It didn’t make logical sense to stumble around looking for a good place when they could be using that time more  _efficiently_.

“This way, Al,” he murmured, taking control of the lead and pulling his boyfriend toward a set of French doors with large windows kissed by frost.  Albus eyed him curiously as he pushed them open, offering up a soft smile in response before slipping out into the chilly night. 

“Won’t it be too cold outside,” he asked wearily, glancing out to the darkened area beyond the glow of yellow-hued torchlight with trepidation.

Smiling brightly, Scorpius shook his head.  “We set the charms to cover the entire area all the way to the back.  With your robes and our combined heat, you’ll be fine for a little while.”

“You had me at combined heat,” Albus acquiesced with a lopsided grin, stepping out onto the small porch and taking in the full extent of the garden when his eyes finally adjusted to the change in luminescence.

Flowering bushes lined the sparkling stone walkways that crisscrossed their way into different subsects of the large yard, creating little paths to follow deeper onto the grounds.  Petals of pearl, lilac, periwinkle, lavender, and dusty rose glowed in the soft white light from the candlelight charms hovering like fireflies in the dark, their buds magicked to bloom at that time of year despite the bitter cold.

Above their heads, snowfall gently dusted the tops of the tallest of trees, icicles dangling from those branches that reached themselves up toward the inky sky speckled with an unfathomable number of stars.  Thanks to the warming charms they’d cast earlier that evening, the ground was free of all signs of winter, even the lush grass still growing in thick and green as far as the eye could see.

“What do you think,” Scorpius asked, reaching out a hand toward his boyfriend to slot their fingers together.  The subtle warmth from Albus’ palm was enough to send his heartrate into a fluttering spasm in his chest.

Albus gave him the gentlest of squeezes in response.  “I think it’s brilliant,” he chirped, turning to him with a childlike gleam sparkling in his eyes.  When their gazes locked, a smitten expression softened his handsome features, painted the faintest pink from the cold.  “Though, anywhere I’m alone with you is my favorite place to be.”

It was all he could do to resist the sudden urge to press the boy up against the house and ravage him on the spot.  “Shall we take a walk, then,” Scorpius managed to gasp out around the well of hot emotions bubbling rapidly in his chest.

Something in his face must have given him away, because it caused a wicked grin to curl the other's lips.  A deep chuckle rumbled from his throat as he dropped his tone seductively low.  “Lead the way,” Albus breathed, pressing against his side deliciously close.

The night was quiet around them, sounds from the Manor floating up now and again as the two made their way down the small path at a leisured pace.  The crisp winter air felt pleasant on his fevered skin, a nice offset to the all too distracting heat radiating off of his boyfriend’s body beside him in tantalizing waves. 

Albus never asked where it was they were headed, preferring instead to wait quietly and be surprised when they got there.  It was fine by him, at any rate.  He thoroughly enjoyed the companionable silence blanketed over their shoulders like a gentle embrace, the feeling of Albus’ warm palm pressed flush against his own slightly cooler one.  It was the kind of peaceful happiness so often taken for granted in their hectic schedules, and he cherished it all the more, for the fact.

Scorpius led them through each twist and turn without so much as a second thought, delving even deeper into the quiet of the night.  There were plenty of nooks and shadows around to blend themselves inside of, but he had a certain place in his mind’s eye that would make the evening an unforgettable one.  Tucked away in the far eastern corner of the grounds, lost in a maze of manicured bush so tall it nearly blocked out the sky, was a large fountain carved from the finest gaudy materials money could buy.

Benches sat encircling the enormous silver pool, the cascade of water pouring from the fountain’s basin glinting like crystalline gems as it rained down from the ivory monument in the very center.  White lights had been strung up in the tall hedges that haloed the area, and with the full moon shining down from high above, it was the perfect spot for a secret tryst.

Or it would have been, had there not been a lone figure already occupying the closest bench to them as they broke through the last obstruction of foliage, instantly dropping their conjoined hands and taking a sizeable step apart.  Before Scorpius could open his mouth to suggest a new alternative, a familiar face turned at the sound of their footfalls, bespectacled eyes obscured by a glint of twinkle light reflected off his lenses.

“Albus,” Harry said with a tense smile.  “And Scorpius.  What are you two boys doing all the way out here?”

“I could ask the same of you,” Albus replied coolly, crossing arms over his chest as he cocked a brow at his father.  “Does mum know that you’ve run off from the party?”

Scorpius smiled brightly and gestured to the fountain with a flippant hand.  “I was just showing Albus the garden before everyone crowds it for the fireworks,” he lied, nudging his boyfriend with an elbow to force him to calm down and play along.  “It’s a bit stuffy in there with all those people.  And loud.  Much quieter out here.”

Harry seemed to deflate a little in his seat, lowering his glasses to rub at his eyes.  “Yes, I have to agree,” he mumbled before righting them once more and giving the two of them a sheepish look.  “I don’t do so well at large gatherings.”

“You married a Weasley,” Albus deadpanned.

The ends of his father’s lips quirked in amusement.  “Yes, but that’s different, isn’t it?  Family is always family, no matter how many hundreds there are.  Strangers are…”

“Horrible,” Scorpius supplied helpfully, earning a chuckle from the elder Potter.

“Something like that.”  He spared a wistful glance over to the bubbling fountain before rising to his feet and approaching the two of them with cautious steps.  “Well, not to ruin your own daring escape from the joyous festivities, but your mother would chew me out if she knew I saw you out here and didn’t immediately drag the two of you back to the party.”

Albus let out a low groan of disappointment.  “Can’t we just pretend none of this happened,” he asked hopefully, a hint of urgency to his tone.  “You never saw us, we never saw you?”

“If it were up to me, I’d say it was fine,” he told his son with a slight grimace.  “But I made a promise to your mother that I would keep a close eye on you tonight.  Make sure you remained relatively unscathed, as it were.”

“Smother me, more like,” Albus muttered under his breath.

“I know she can be a bit overbearing at times,” Harry said with a sigh, running a hand through his unruly hair, “but she means well.  Honest.”  Glancing between the two of them, he offered up an apologetic smile.  “It’s only for the evening, I’m sure you understand.”

Scorpius reached a calming hand out and placed it on his boyfriend’s bicep, attempting to still the impending tirade he knew was not far off.  “It’s no trouble, Al,” he murmured, quirking his lips reassuringly.   “I can just show you around before the fireworks.”

Albus met his gaze with a frown.  “But it’s not as if we’re going to go run off the whole night or anything.”  He turned to his father once more, clasping hands in front of his chest pleadingly.  “Just don’t mention to her that you saw us.  I promise we won’t be long, or anything.  Just a breather.  Really.  Please, dad?”

“Al,” Harry chided softly, face spasming between stern and terribly guilty.  “You know I can’t do that.  Once she’s got her claws in me, I’ll be done for.  There’s no keeping anything from your mum.”

“It’s all right,” Scorpius promised, bumping their shoulders together affectionately.  “It’s getting a bit chilly, anyhow.  They’re serving cups of warm butterbeer by the piano, we should get one and find a nice spot to hole up.”

Green eyes flicked to his momentarily, and then away, seeming to understand the message despite it not being verbally said.  There were other opportunities in the future, more than either of them could hope to guess.  A few measly hours of restraint wouldn’t kill them, even if it felt like it might, right then.  And besides.  If necessary, they could sneak away at a later time and find another place to try again.

Albus heaved an irritated sigh, turning his focus onto the man who ruined their chance at a good, long snog-fest.  “Fine.  But I’m telling mum where you’ve been all this time.  If I have to suffer, you do, too.”  Turning on his heel, he sauntered off with loud, angry steps.

Harry swore under his breath, looking to Scorpius like he might somehow be able to save him.  “I don’t suppose you think he was just being overly dramatic?”

The ends of his mouth quirked apologetically in response.  “Afraid not, you know how he gets when his plans are thwarted.”

Harry nodded glumly, shoulders slumping in utter defeat.  “Damn.  And I had promised to be on my best behavior tonight, too.”

“There’s trays of fancy chocolates and glasses of expensive champagne being passed around the rooms,” Scorpius offered by way of consolation.  “It might help to ease the blow, some.”

Harry chuckled at that, a bit of the tension draining out of his posture.  “Thanks, Scorpius,” he murmured, clapping a fatherly hand down onto his shoulder and smiling softly.  There was a beat of silence, filled only by the faint rustle of wind sweeping through the trees before he let go, inclining his head back toward the large house far off in the distance.   “Best to just get it over with then, yeah?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah. I lied. I said I'd write the entirety of the party in one go, and I didn't.  
> Not to say I'm not in the process of trying to, but I have yet to complete it and thought I should probably update sometime soon. You know, since it's been like eight months and I'm officially a monster?  
> Thanks so so so so so much for sticking with my horrible treatment of this fic. Any and all who encourage or pester me to write more are part of the reason why I even get off my lazy butt and attempt to do these things, in the first place.  
> So never hesitate to tell me I'm letting you down with my inaction. I need that kind of motivation in my life. ^^;;;;
> 
> Hit me up on Tumblr and yell anonymous things in my ask box to make yourself feel better - Cherrywrites626  
> I deserve it. <3


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